Nonpartisan Policy

Nonpartisan Policy

I.       Nonpartisanship (Originally Revised and Adopted February 2019)

 

  1. The League of Women Voters is nonpartisan in that it does not support or oppose any political party or candidate; it is political in that it takes positions on selected governmental issues.

While the League urges its members to be politically active, certain constraints are necessary in order to maintain the nonpartisanship of the organization. Therefore, the Board has established the following guidelines in order to protect the League's nonpartisan reputation:

  1. Board of Directors
    The Board has the responsibility to maintain the nonpartisanship of the organization.  They may not:
      • Hold a political office.  Any Board member, upon resignation from the Board, may run for or hold political office.
      • Publicly endorse a candidate for any elected office.
      • Hold a fund-raiser on behalf of a candidate
      • Hold an office in an organization that supports or endorses political candidates
  1. Members
    Members are encouraged to participate fully in the political process, serve on public boards and commissions, and participate in political activities as individuals without implying or receiving League endorsement. When acting in the public as League representatives, members must not allow partisanship to be discernible. Therefore, to help ensure the League's nonpartisanship, the following guidelines apply:
        • Members shall not identify themselves as League members when making statements at public meetings.  Only the LWVSA President and/or his or her designee may present League statements to governmental boards, commissioners, or the media.
        • Only petitions approved by the state and local leagues can be circulated at League meetings.  No candidate materials shall be distributed during League functions, except at specified events.
  1. This policy is to be reviewed and endorsed or revised by the League of Women Voters of the Spokane Area ("LWVSA") Board of Directors (“Board”) at the beginning of each League year and subsequently published in the VOTER.

 

Revised and Approved 7/23/21