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LWV
General Meeting: 7:30pm,
March 29th@Rye Rec
At our next general meeting Anne Cochran will be presenting the SmartVoter project and providing a demonstration of the SmartVoter system at 7:30pm on March 29th at Rye Recreation.
The SmartVoter system provides a wealth of voter information. Based on your address, SmartVoter will display all of the candidates for offices in your district as well as any referenda. It also provides details about polling locations/hours and absentee ballot information.
A History of the League of Women Voters
Pictured at left is Carrie Chapman Catt, Suffragist and President of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, which was subsequently reorganized as the League of Women Voters in 1920. Ms. Catt was the chief architect of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which guaranteed women the right to vote.
If you are interested you can learn more about the history of the Women's Rights Movement.
History of the Rye LWV
The Rye League of Women Voters (Rye LWV) was founded in the early 1950's and was established to create an awareness of the influence that local and federal governments have on our schools, the environment, healthcare, and our quality of life. The Rye LWV evolved in the 1980's to include the communiities of Rye Brook and Port Chester.
Historically the Rye LWV has been an active and dynamic force for change, improving the Rye community through education, consensus and advocacy at the City, County and State level. Rye LWV studies have influenced changes to County and State environmental policies, addressed local recreation and open space issues, including the role of Playland in our community, and explored Rye City school districting options. It was a Rye LWV study that led to the creation of the Rye City Manager position. Many of these studies, prepared under the leadership of local League volunteers, were subsequently expanded to the County and State level, often culminating in presentations to County and State legislators.
The League of Women Voters of Rye, Rye Brook and Port Chester has enjoyed the overwhelming support of the citizens of those communities. Our local league was the first in the nation to elect a male Chapter President.
We are seeking to build our membership with people who are committed to civic education of our citizens and to the power of positive action and advocacy to move our democracy forward.
How We Work
The Rye, Rye Brook, Port Chester chapter of the League of Women Voters is a local branch of the
League of Women Voters of Westchester, NY, League of Women Voters of New York State and the League of Women Voters of the United States.
The League of Women Voters is, at all levels, a nonpartisan, multi-issue, grassroots organization that encourages informed, active participation of citizens in local, county, state and national governments. It is unique among such organizations in its strict nonpartisanship — it supports and opposes issues but not particular candidates or political parties. Among many other activities, the LWV:
- Educates citizens about issues, legislation and candidates, as well as their rights and responsibilities as citizens and encourages individual participation in the political process, including registering citizens to vote
- Prepares and circulates Voter Guides at election time and sponsors candidate debates and public issue forums
- Monitors government activities from local to national
- Analyzes issues objectively, and, upon reaching a consensus, takes action, lobbies, and testifies regarding those issues
