Non-Partisan Policy

League of Women Voters^®
of Tallahassee

THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IS A NON-PARTISAN ORGANIZATION

The purpose of the League of Women Voters is to promote informed and active participation of citizens in their government through education and advocacy. The League 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 public issues after member study and agreement.

The League recognizes the role of political parties in our form of government and believes that participation in their activities is an essential ingredient of citizen responsibility. While the League urges its members to be politically active, certain constraints are necessary in order to maintain the nonpartisanship, which has always been a major source of strength for the League. It is the cornerstone of our Voter Service program: candidates appear at our events because they trust our forums will be fair and impartial and they know they will be treated with respect. Candidates give information to League because they know it will not be used for partisan purposes. This reputation for fairness and independence accounts for the confidence placed in our positions by interested citizens, other organizations, and the media.

Individual Board members must recognize that as a result of close identification with the League, each board member has a special responsibility to see that his/her activities do not create a partisan impression. The Board of Directors of the League of Women Voters of Florida and League of Women Voters of Florida Education Fund has established the following guidelines:

Each board member is responsible for maintaining the nonpartisanship of the League.

Board members may attend public political meetings, but not private political meetings, nor advise or work for parties or candidates, make financial contributions to parties or candidates, or state preferences for parties or candidates in writing or in speech. Board members are expected to resign upon declaring an intention to be a candidate or work for a candidate for public office.

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: August 22, 2008 09:59 PDT.