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.
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