HomeLWVCKC Positions

League Positions

The League of Women Voters is an inclusive, nonpartisan, grassroots organization that encourages informed participation in government, promotes understanding of major public policy issues, and influences policy through education and advocacy. Our positions are based on extensive member study and consensus. We are political, but we do not support or oppose any political party or candidate.

Today, many issues are framed in partisan terms, isolating us from those who hold different views and splintering families and communities. Yet democracy depends on listening, discussion, and engagement with others who may not share our views, across party lines and personal experiences.

Founded more than 100 years ago, the League of Women Voters was created as a nonpartisan voice for free, fair, and open elections. Our founders believed voters deserve accurate issue-based information - regardless of how that information might line up with the current day candidate and party positions.

Before taking a position on an issue, the League of Women Voters undertakes a thorough process to study the issue, examine different aspects of it, discuss pro's and con's, and finally, come to a consensus about policy. These "consensus studies" are conducted nationwide. Local Leagues are actively involved in studying the issue, reaching a consensus locally, reporting the results up the chain, and thereby contributing to the resulting national positions.

Below are summaries of some of the League's published positions. The list is not exhaustive. Please feel free to contact us at advocacy@lwvckcil.com for assistance with obtaining a full and accurate list of all positions published by the LWV-US, LWV-Illinois, or LWV of Central Kane County.

Voting Rights

The League of Women Voters believes that voting is a fundamental citizen right that must be guaranteed.

A key pillar, the above position informs the League's ongoing efforts to register, educate, and turn out voters. The League promotes voter protection and opposes unnecessary and often discriminatory barriers to voting.

Founded more than 100 years ago, the League of Women Voters was created as a nonpartisan voice for free, fair, and open elections. Our founders believed voters deserve accurate issue-based information - regardless of how that information might line up with present-day candidate and party positions.

The League of Women Voters believes that citizens of the District of Columbia should be afforded the same rights of self-government and full voting representation in Congress as are all other citizens of the United States.

The Election Process

The League of Women Voters believes that congressional districts and government legislative bodies should be apportioned substantially on population.

FAIR MAPS: The League opposes racial and political gerrymandering and advocates for a fair and transparent process to ensure equitable, accurate maps.

The League's efforts focus on:

Ensuring equity and transparency in the map-drawing process
Advocating for independent redistricting commissions and the integrity of existing commissions
Pushing for restoration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
Monitoring and protecting the “free and fair” clause in state constitutions
Increasing education and public engagement in the community districting process

The League believes that the methods of financing political campaigns should enhance political equality for all citizens; ensure maximum participation by citizens in the political process; protect representative democracy; provide voters with sufficient information to make informed choices at the polls; ensure transparency; enable candidates to compete equitably for public office; ensure candidates have sufficient funds to communicate their messages to the public; and combat corruption and undue influence in government.

The League believes that the direct-popular-vote method for electing the President and Vice President is essential to representative government. The League believes, therefore, that the Electoral College should be abolished. Click below to learn more about the League's One-Person-One-Vote Campaign:

LEARN MORE

The League promotes an open governmental system that is representative, accountable, and responsive. We encourage electoral methods that provide the broadest voter representation possible and are expressive of voter choices.

The League's positions support ranked choice voting (RCV) as an alternative to plurality voting that can be applied in any election. The LWVIL recognizes that the following recommended criteria represent best practice.

As many of these criteria as possible should be included:

Provides for voter education using an RCV ballot.
All voting equipment must be fully capable for RCV.
Understandable ballots.
Proportional RCV is used for multi-winner elections.
Allows for qualified write-in candidates.

The LWVIL supports local Leagues’ ability to advocate for such a system at the local level. The LWVIL supports the right of local governments to choose RCV for their local elections regardless of what system is used at the state level.

Citizen Rights

The League of Women Voters believes that democratic government depends upon informed and active participation at all levels of government. The League further believes that governmental bodies must be transparent - including providing notice of proposed actions, holding open meetings, and making public records accessible.

The League believes in the individual liberties guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States. The League is convinced that individual rights now protected by the Constitution should not be weakened or abridged.

The League believes that public policy in a pluralistic society must affirm the constitutional right of privacy of the individual to make reproductive choices.

Congress and the President

The League of Women Voters believes that structures and practices of the US Congress must be characterized by openness, accountability, representativeness, decision-making capability, and effective performance.

The League believes that presidential power should be exercised within the constitutional framework of a dynamic balance between the executive and legislative branches. Accountability and responsibility to the people require that unnecessary secrecy between the President and Congress be eliminated.

Federal Judiciary

The League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) believes that all powers of the US government should be exercised within the constitutional framework of the balance of powers among the three branches of government. The League believes that, within the bounds of the US Constitution, the overarching principles of transparency, accountability, independence, and ethics are essential to an effective federal judiciary. These principles are not only essential for a strong democracy but foster public trust in the federal judiciary and adherence to the rule of law, the essence of our constitutional democracy.

For the federal judiciary, the League supports the essential principles of:

Transparency: Federal court documents, proceedings, and rulings, including those in “shadow docket” cases, should be open and available to the public within the bounds of the law, recognizing the need for limited exceptions, such as legally protected sensitive information.
Accountability: Federal judges and Justices should be held legally and ethically responsible for the integrity of their actions, with enforceable consequences for violations.
Independence: Federal judges and Justices should act in accordance with the Constitution and statutory and case law, free from the influence of the other branches of government and free from shifting popular and political opinion.
Ethics: Federal judges and Justices should adhere to ethical standards of conduct that apply universally at all levels of the federal courts. There should be a meaningful enforcement process with judges and Justices subject to penalties for failure to comply with the standards.

The League believes that standards of conduct for federal judges and Justices should include requirements to disclose non-judicial income; other financial benefits including, but not limited to, gifts and hospitality; and investment holdings. Federal judges, Justices, and their partners or spouses should be subject to penalties for failure to disclose accurately and in a timely manner.

Natural Resources and the Environment

The League of Women Voters believes that natural resources should be managed as interrelated parts of life-supporting ecosystems. Resources should be conserved and protected to assure their future availability.

The League believes that protection and management of natural resources are responsibilities shared by all levels of government.

The League supports:

Regulation of pollution sources by control and penalties
Inspection and monitoring
Full disclosure of pollution data
Incentives to accelerate pollution control
Vigorous enforcement mechanisms

The League believes that climate change is a serious threat facing our nation and our planet. The League believes that an interrelated approach to combating climate change - including through energy conservation, air pollution controls, building resilience, and promotion of renewable resources - is necessary to protect public health and defend the overall integrity of the global ecosystem.

Transfer of Federal Public Lands

The League of Women Voters believes that federal public lands should benefit all Americans. We support improvements in management and regulation.

The League is opposed to the sale of federal lands to private entities except for small tracts surrounded by nonfederal lands. The League is opposed to the transfer of subsurface rights to states or other entities.

Criminal Justice

The League of Women Voters adopted an updated Statement of Position on Criminal Justice in 2022. The full text is quite detailed and goes into areas such as policing practices, pre-trial procedures, sentencing, incarceration, and re-entry. At a high level, the League believes our criminal justice system should meet the following criteria:

A criminal justice system that is just, effective, equitable, transparent, and that fosters public trust at all stages
The elimination of systemic bias
Policing practices that promote safety
Collaboration between government and community at every stage of the criminal justice system
A focus on humane treatment and rehabilitation
Reliance on evidence-based research in decision-making about law enforcement programs and policies

The League supports the abolition of the death penalty.

The League believes alternatives to imprisonment should be explored and utilized, taking into consideration the circumstances and nature of the crime. The League opposes mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses.

Equal Rights

The League of Women Voters believes that all levels of government have a responsibility to provide equality of opportunity for education, employment, and housing for all persons in the United States, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or disability.

The League supports equal rights for all regardless of sex. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is the 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects the equality of rights under the law regardless of sex. The Equal Rights Amendment has been ratified but has not yet been published. Click below to read more about the League's efforts to ensure the 28th Amendment is published and fully recognized.

READ MORE

Low- and Moderate-Income Housing (Affordable Housing)

The Illinois League believes:

The State should plan for adequate supplies of low and moderate-income housing.
Builders of large developments and planned unit developments should be required to provide a percentage of their units for low- and moderate-income housing.
Some kind of fair-share plan should be developed so that every community will have a percentage of low- and moderate-income housing, rather than having it concentrated in a few areas of the state. This kind of housing should be attractive and diversified in design and should be subsidized by both state and federal levels.
The League believes an educational program is needed to explain the need for and concept of low and moderate-income housing and that, when necessary, zoning laws should be revised to accommodate such housing.

Federal Role in Public Education

The League of Women Voters believes that the federal government shares with other levels of government the responsibility to provide an equitable, quality public education for all children from pre-K through grade 12.

Funding of Higher Education

LWVIL supports sustained allocation of state funds for public higher education that will provide quality postsecondary programs throughout the state.

Objectives for adequate public funding should be to:

Provide affordable educational opportunities which foster global competitiveness for the people of Illinois and their employers
Eliminate and prohibit barriers to funding higher education: constitutional, statutory, and regulatory
Invest in capital construction and long-term maintenance of higher education facilities
Attract, maintain, and retain quality teaching staff

In addition, the League supports sustained funding to attract, support, and retain qualified Illinois students through:

State-funded, need-based financial aid
State-funded, merit-based scholarships
State-funded grants paying for research assistantships
State-subsidized internships

Health Care

The League of Women Voters believes that a basic level of quality health care at an affordable cost should be available to all US residents. Other US health care policy goals should include the equitable distribution of services, efficient and economical delivery of care, advancement of medical research and technology, and a reasonable total national expenditure level for health care.

The League supports access for all people to affordable, quality behavioral health care (encompassing both the care of mental illness and the care of substance abuse disorder).

Immigration

The League of Women Voters believes that immigration policies should promote reunification of immediate families; meet the economic, business, and employment needs of the United States; and be responsive to those facing political persecution or humanitarian crises. Provision should be made for qualified persons to enter the United States on student visas. All persons should receive fair treatment under the law.

The League supports due process for all persons, including the right to a fair hearing, right to counsel, right of appeal, and right to humane treatment.

The League supports a system for individuals living in the US without legal permission to earn legal status, including citizenship, by paying taxes, studying civics, and meeting other relevant criteria. While policy reforms, including a path to legal status, remain unachieved, the League does not support deporting immigrants who have no history of major and/or violent criminal activity.

The League of Women Voters of Illinois believes:

That the State of Illinois should promote local community efforts to provide orientation and counseling services for immigrants regardless of documentation status. The State of Illinois should support funding efforts for these services by encouraging federal funding and by the use of funds from the state and local governments as well as from the private sector.
That the State of Illinois should promote and fund educational programs and materials that seek to inform all workers, including documented and undocumented immigrants, of their rights in the workplace.
That the State of Illinois should provide "driving certificates" or some other form of proof of driving validation to undocumented drivers, allowing those drivers to drive legally and ensuring that they would have passed a state driving test. LWVIL also believes the State of Illinois should permit and encourage auto insurance providers to issue insurance coverage to holders of such driving certificates.

LWVIL opposes:

Deputization of state and local police to enforce immigration laws in Illinois.
Legislation or ordinances at the state and local level that would penalize landlords for renting to undocumented immigrants.
Legislation or ordinances at the state and local level that would prohibit the issuance of business permits to undocumented immigrants. LWVIL does not support extending the right to vote to undocumented immigrants.

Meeting Basic Human Needs

The League of Women Voters believes that one of the goals of social policy in the US should be to promote self-sufficiency for individuals and families and that the most-effective social programs are those designed to prevent or reduce poverty.

Persons who are unable to work, whose earnings are inadequate, or for whom jobs are not available have the right to an income and/or services sufficient to meet their basic needs for food, shelter, and access to health care.

The League supports policies and programs designed to increase job opportunities; increase access to health insurance; provide support services such as child care and transportation; provide opportunities and/or incentives for basic or remedial education and job training; decrease teen pregnancy; and ensure that noncustodial parents contribute to the support of their children.

Gun Policy

The League of Women Voters believes that the proliferation of semi-automatic/automatic weapons in the US is a major health and safety threat to its citizens. The League supports strong federal measures to limit the accessibility and regulate the ownership of these weapons by private citizens. The League supports regulating firearms for public safety.

GET INVOLVED

JOIN OR RENEW