The League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis has adopted a number of local positions describing our interests in good government in our region.  These emphasize high ethical standards, transparency, and ample public participation.

In terms of ethics, we have supported written and enforceable ethical standards for elected officials and lobbyists, limits on campaign contributions, and other actions that limit the power of moneyed interests.

During 2021 and 2022, we were very active within the League of Women Voters of Missouri's substantial initiative to reduce gerrymandering and argue for compact and contiguous districts based on communities of interests.

We encourage transparency in all levels of government and encourage our members to observe meetings of public bodies.  We believe that transparency increases the public's trust in government. To that end, we want to see open budget processes in which citizens can participate readily because information is disseminated in a timely, accessible fashion. We also encourage local governments in our region to furnish residents with readily available and understandable information about the public services they provide.

We want to see effective, efficient, responsive, and responsible governments in the metro area. We support home rule charters where citizens have expressed a desire for a charter form of government, and support periodic reviews of charters so that they remain current. For the past year we have been very active in observing and testifying before a Charter Commission convened by the City of St. Louis.

League Interest in Alternative Election Systems

During the discussion of approval voting in the City of St. Louis during this decade, our League developed several presentations about approval voting and ranked choice voting. Below we share with you these items:

Alternative Election Systems Powerpoint

How Ranked Choice Voting Works Presentation

Fact Sheet on Alternative Voting Systems