This Valentine’s Day, the League of Women Voters of California turns 106 years old. And like any relationship that has endured for more than a century, it is worth celebrating. I just started as the LWVC Executive Director this past October, and every day, I love the League a little more.
I love the way our staff and volunteers show up to protect the freedom to vote. I love the trust placed in us as a nonpartisan, fiercely pro-democracy voice. And I love the unglamorous, essential work the League does to preserve democracy, piece by piece.
Recently, that work led to a major victory. In the case of United States v. Weber, the LWVC intervened against an attempt by the Department of Justice to unlawfully obtain sensitive California voter data. In granting our motion to dismiss, Judge David O. Carter wrote, “The taking of democracy does not occur in one fell swoop, it is chipped away piece by piece until there is nothing left.” That line has stayed with me because the opposite is also true.
Democracy is preserved piece by piece.
It is preserved when we fight federal overreach and voter suppression in the courts – and win. It is preserved when we produce clear, accessible, nonpartisan voter guides. And it is preserved when everyday people come together to defend one another’s rights.
This year, the pieces matter more than ever before.
In November 2026, Californians will face a dangerous ballot proposition that would require voters to show government-issued identification in order to cast a ballot. Voter ID laws are the modern continuation of Jim Crow, policies designed to disenfranchise people of color, women, the elderly, and low-income voters. We must and will educate voters about how voter ID laws create additional, unnecessary obstacles to voting for many citizens.
At the same time, we are continuing our work to advance the California Fair Elections Act. This proposal will curb the corrosive influence of big money in our elections and ensure elections are decided by voters, not wealthy donors or special interests.
As we move toward the 2026 Midterm Elections, vigilance is urgent. The recent seizure of ballots in Fulton County makes it unmistakably clear that the Trump administration is willing to push the limits of its authority, and cross them, to suppress the vote.
This year, we have watched deeply troubling ICE activity unfold in Minnesota, California, and across the country, including the use of deadly force against peaceful protesters. The League has condemned these actions because democracy cannot survive where fear is used to silence people or tear communities apart. What has inspired me, though, is what happens next: neighbors warning neighbors, people showing up for one another, and communities organizing to protect the most vulnerable among them.
This, too, is the League I love.
This Valentine’s Day, as we celebrate the League’s 106th birthday, I invite you to make a gift that reflects not just where we’ve been, but the democracy we’re building next.
$106 to honor our history
$530 to fuel five decades of impact ahead
$1,060 to ensure our future over the next 106 years
Your donation helps us preserve democracy, piece by piece. Thank you for your support.
With gratitude and resolve,
Jenny Farrell
Executive Director
League of Women Voters of California
P.S. Anyone who gives $106 or more will receive a homemade LWVC whistle (made by our very own Fiscal Manager Renee on her nifty 3D printer), a symbol of solidarity and a tool that can be used to alert neighbors if ICE is present in your area.
