Program Planning

Program Planning

As a grass roots organization, the League looks to its members for guidance on how best to use our time and energy and allocate our resources.  "Program" refers to the issues we choose for study, education and action at local, state and national levels. The "Program Planning" process occurs every two years in advance of our State Convention.  It starts with our local League's Program Planning Meeting, where we decide on our League's recommendations to the State for the top three issues to prioritize over the next two years.

Program Priorities 2025-2026 for the LWV of North Santa Barbara County

At our February 23, 2025 Program Planning Meeting, members broke into groups and discussed which issues are most pressing at this time.

  • Immigration
  • Voting Rights
  • Election Reform
  • Government Transparency
  • Understanding Rural Communities
  • Environment, fossil fuels and water 

Members voted to recommend the State League (LWVC) prioritize these three issues:

  • "Making Democracy Work":  including easy access for voting, work with young voters, support the state legislature to improve voter rights
  • Immigration:  including welcoming immigrants and sharing information with our community to provide accurate and timely information on local immigration activities.
  • Environment: including educating our community on water needs, and supporting legislation that decreases further use of fossil fuels

 "Making Democracy Work", which is core to League work, and has been identified by LWVUS as a national priority, will also continue to be one of our state program priorities for 2025-26.

In 2016 the League of Women Voters launched the League-wide Campaign for Making Democracy Work®. This comprehensive program engages Leagues nationwide in advancing core democracy issues.  This includes Expanding Voter Access, Fighting Voter Suppression, Money in Politics, Redistricting, and Direct Election of the President by Popular Vote.

LWVC Board will make our recommendations to LWVC for consideration at the State convention in June, where the Program Planning process culminates in the delegates’ adoption of the statewide program.