Mission and History

Our Mission

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in our democracy. The League encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. We never endorse or oppose political parties or candidates, but we are political.

Our local League of Women Voters of Central Kane County serves the cities of Batavia, Geneva, and St. Charles, as well as neighboring communities, such as Campton Hills, Elburn, Kaneville, and Maple Park. We are one of three local Leagues in Kane County, with the League of Women Voters of the Elgin Area to our north, serving Bartlett, Carpentersville, Dundee, Elgin, Gilberts, Sleepy Hollow, and South Elgin and the League of Women Voters Aurora Area to our south, serving Aurora, Oswego, North Aurora, Montgomery, Yorkville, and Sugar Grove. We work as partners with our neighboring Leagues, the League of Women Voters of Illinois, and the national League of Women Voters. When you join the League of Women Voters of Central Kane County, you are automatically granted membership in our state and national Leagues as well.

Our dual purpose

Voter Service & Civic Education
We provide nonpartisan, unbiased information to help voters understand elections, the voting process, and key public issues.

Advocacy & Action
We take informed action on public policy issues—advocating for positions that have been carefully studied and reflect our commitment to the public good.

The League of Women Voters of Central Kane County is a 501(c)(4) organization.

League History

The League of Women Voters was officially formed as an organization in Chicago on Valentines Day, 1920. Today the League is present in all 50 states and in more than 700 local communities. Joining your local League is a great way to get involved in your community and play an active role in our democracy.

On May 21, 2020, at the Annual Meeting of the LWV of Central Kane County, members Llona and Lynn Steele delivered a fascinating presentation in recognition of the League's 100th Anniversary. The presentation, which was named LWVCKC: How Did We Get Here?, chronicled the history of women’s suffrage and the birth of the League; and it celebrated an organization that has stood as a beacon for democracy for the past century. Members of our own Central Kane County League are among the amazing women captured in the historical photos.

In 1919, the year prior to the League’s formation, Carrie Chapman Catt, then President of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, proposed the creation of a "league of women voters to finish the fight and aid in the reconstruction of the nation." The following year, on February 14, 1920 - six months before the 19th amendment to the Constitution was ratified - the League was formally organized in Chicago as the national League of Women Voters.

Catt described the purpose of the new organization:

"The League of Women Voters is not to dissolve any present organization but to unite all existing organizations of women who believe in its principles. It is not to lure women from partisanship but to combine them in an effort for legislation which will protect coming movements, which we cannot even foretell, from suffering the untoward conditions which have hindered for so long the coming of equal suffrage. Are the women of the United States big enough to see their opportunity?"

You can visit our national site HERE for a fascinating timeline of the past hundred years.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy

In 2018, the League of Women Voters published a essay, entitled Facing Hard Truths About the League’s Origin. The essay was authored by then League President Chris Carson and CEO Virginia Kase. It acknowledged that racism was present in the early American suffrage movement, and it specifically called out the racist views of Carrie Chapman Catt. The essay went on to recognize that the League has fallen short of its mission throughout its history, by failing to take a leadership role in the fight against discrimination, and by failing to welcome, represent, and defend Black women and other persons of color. The 2018 essay announced the League’s new DEI policy and commitment to do better. “Today, we invite all people, regardless of gender, gender identity, ethnicity, or race, to join us as we commit to righting the wrongs of our past and building a stronger, more inclusive democracy.”

The League of Women Voters of Central Kane County embraces the new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy and is fully committed to ensure compliance with the policy, in principle and in practice.

The DEI policy, as updated by the LWVUS Board on January 21, 2024, reads…

Discrimination or harassment of any kind will not be accepted within the League, including but not limited to race, socio-economic status, age, ability status, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender identity, or marital status. The League is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging for all people. The League is an organization that respects and values the richness of our community and our members. The collective sum of our individual differences and life experiences represents not only our culture, but our reputation and the organization's mission and achievements as well.

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La discriminación o el acoso de cualquier tipo no serán aceptados dentro de la Liga, incluyendo pero no limitado a raza, estatus socioeconómico, edad, capacidad, religión, orientación sexual, origen nacional, identidad de género o estado civil. La Liga se compromete a fomentar, cultivar y preservar una cultura de diversidad, equidad, inclusión, acceso y pertenencia para todas las personas. La Liga es una organización que respeta y valora la riqueza de nuestra comunidad y nuestros miembros. La suma colectiva de nuestras diferencias individuales y experiencias de vida representa no solo nuestra cultura, sino también nuestra reputación y los logros y la misión de la organización.