Category: LWVUS

LWV Letter on Redistricting

~ League of Women Voters of Wayland ~ Leave a comment

Below is a letter from Dianna Wynn, President of the League of Women Voters of the US, sent to LWV members around the country on August 29, 2025.

Dear League of Women Voters members, 

As mid-cycle redistricting battles continue, we want to be intentional in keeping you, as League members, informed on where our organization stands. 

As a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to empowering voters and defending democracy, the League of Women Voters believes that redistricting should only happen every 10 years based on the population, should always put communities of interest first, and should establish fair maps that reflect an inclusive democracy. 

No Harm to Our Communities 

The reality is that mid-cycle redistricting is happening now in states across the country. So, what does that mean for us? 

The League remains steadfast that any redistricting process must include people’s voices. This week, we released No Harm to Our Communities: Mapping Guidance for Elected Leaders, guidance and standards for any governor or redistricting body drawing new maps. With this guidance, the League demands the protection of historically disenfranchised communities. The guidance includes additional resources for the public to engage if your state begins redistricting — a template for redistricting testimony and a community and organizational scorecard —because we know that people want and need ways to engage and to feel empowered in this fight.  

The League will continue doing our part to educate and equip voters for the road ahead in the impacted states. Make no mistake: if a state harms our communities, the League of Women Voters will use our full power to fight back. 

Our Organization 

For many decades, the League has consistently opposed gerrymandering because these tactics disenfranchise voters — especially Black and brown voters. LWV’s policy position on redistricting stands firmly against gerrymandering that dilutes the power of communities of interest. Like all our policy positions, the League’s position on redistricting was adopted by a majority of our membership in a grassroots process. According to our organizational bylaws, the League must adhere to its policy positions until and unless they are changed by our membership.

One state League’s stance on redistricting in their state affects the work of other state Leagues. A consistent stance across states on redistricting strengthens our nonpartisan credibility that many state Leagues rely on to do critical work in their community, including protecting voters. 

The League of Women Voters is committed to voters, our communities, and our members. Thank you for your dedication to empowering voters and defending democracy.

In League,
Dianna WynnPresident, League of Women Voters of the US

LWVUS Statement on DOJ Voter Data and Election Machine Requests

~ League of Women Voters of Wayland ~ Leave a comment

On July 18, 2025, the League of Women Voters CEO Celina Stewart, Esq., issued the following statement in response to the Department of Justice’s actions to gather data on voters ahead of next year’s midterm elections:   

“Voting officials and poll workers across the country have been the target of harassment and vitriol since the false claims of a stolen presidential election in 2020. The Department of Justice demanding state election officials share sensitive data on voters and have voting equipment inspected is another attempt to undermine the security of our elections. With every attempt to interfere in the constitutionally mandated election processes of states, our democracy weakens.

“Make no mistake, these actions are intended to remove eligible voters based on the color of their skin or the language they speak, remove those who disagree with the administration’s goals, and sow doubt about the integrity of our elections.

“We must protect not only the practices that keep our elections free and fair, but also the people who sacrifice their time and energy to work at the polls, get voters registered, and carry out our democracy.

“We condemn the Trump Administration’s continued abuse of power in this action to inappropriately target voter data.”

Time to renew your membership!

~ League of Women Voters of Wayland ~ Leave a comment

As many of you are aware, the method of collecting LWV of Wayland membership renewals has changed. You will no longer receive dues renewal notices from our LWV of Wayland, but you will begin receiving email messages from LWVUS with instructions on how to renew your membership on-line. These notices will begin arriving approximately 2 months before whatever date you paid your dues in 2024-25. All payments will go to LWVUS, and our League will receive 20% of your payment. This percentage is actually higher than the percentage we used to realize when you were mailing your checks to us.

How to make an additional donation to the LWV of Wayland

LWV of Wayland is fortunate to have so many members who make additional donations to our local league when they rejoin. We are grateful and thank all of you who are so generous year after year.

LWVUS has made it easy for members to make donations directly to LWV of Wayland by including a link to the donation page directly from the membership renewal page. The full amount of your donation will be sent to LWV of Wayland if you navigate to this page. If you make your donation as part of your renewal, we will only receive 20% of your donation.

You can join the LWV of Wayland at any time by clicking on the How to Join link at the top of the this page.

Town Hall Meeting with Jake Auchincloss on April 28th

~ League of Women Voters of Wayland ~ Leave a comment

Zoom with LWV members and US Representative Jake Auchincloss for a virtual Town Hall Meeting on Monday night April 28th at 7:15-8:15 PM. This will be a relatively rare opportunity to hear directly from a member of Congress about what it is like to do the day-to-day work of legislating in the current rapidly changing political climate.  

Representative Auchincloss has specifically asked to hear from voters about what concerns them most, about what he and his colleagues in Washington can do to improve the lives of voters in Massachusetts. This will also be a golden opportunity to discuss how recent executive orders might impact each of our towns and the region as a whole. We hope lots of League members and leaders can join us Monday evening for a lively discussion!

One of the issues with local impact is the recent executive order requiring in-person voter registration. According to the order entitled Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections issued on March 25th, registration by mail or at voter registration at events such as those held by the League of Women Voters will no longer be allowed. It is also not clear what the implications of keeping copies of required registration documents like passports, birth certificates, and naturalization papers will be for staffing and filing space at clerk’s offices will be, since it is not clear whether maintaining electronic copies will be sufficient for compliance with the order. 

The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3517728800?pwd=0aCYvqiBrUUTr7cFX3PkZb1DIUI8Y1.1&omn=86483393120

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3517728800?pwd=0aCYvqiBrUUTr7cFX3PkZb1DIUI8Y1.1&omn=86483393120

LWVUS files lawsuit against the Trump Administration

~ League of Women Voters of Wayland ~ Leave a comment

In collaboration with other voting rights organizations, LWVUS has filed a lawsuit against President Trump for his recent Anti-Voter Executive Order. Please see the link below for their newsroom statement.

https://www.lwv.org/newsroom/press-releases/voting-rights-groups-challenge-trumps-recent-anti-voter-executive-order

Here is the full text of the complaint filed by the League of Women Voters:

Complaint – LWV v. Trump (2025.04.01) – file-stampedDownload

A Dangerous Attempt to Silence American Voters: LWV Responds to President Trump’s Anti-Voter Executive Order

~ League of Women Voters of Wayland ~ Leave a comment

The League of Women Voters of the United States issued the following statement in response to President Donald Trump’s signed executive order, “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” that threatens Americans’ freedom to vote and tramples states’ constitutional authority to run their own elections.  

“Let’s keep it real: this order is not about protecting elections; it is about making it harder for voters — particularly women voters — to participate in them,” said Celina Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of the League of Women Voters of the United States. “This executive order is an assault on our republic and a dangerous attempt to silence American voters. The President continues to overstep his authority and brazenly disregard settled law in this country. To be very clear — the League of Women Voters is prepared to fight back and defend our democracy.  

 “The President can’t unilaterally change election law,” said Marcia Johnson, Chief Counsel for the League of the Women Voters of the United States. “This order is not only an attack on American voters’ fundamental freedom to vote, it is also plainly unlawful. The League is committed to working with our partners and legal advocates to pursue all avenues in fighting back against this dangerous order, and we will use every tool at our disposal to defend voters from unjust restrictions on their freedom to vote.” 

The order’s extreme provisions include: 

  • Impermissibly requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote by altering the federal voter registration form. Nearly 80% of married women — more than 69 million American women — adopt their partner’s surname, and they would be unable to register to vote if the name on their ID does not directly match their proof of citizenship. Additionally, noncitizens registering to vote and then casting a ballot is already illegal in federal elections, and there is no evidence to suggest that noncitizen voter registration and voting is occurring at any meaningful scale.
  • Prohibiting the counting of absentee and mail ballots postmarked by Election Day but received after, which 18 states and Washington DC currently permit.
  • Giving the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) the authority to review states’ voter rolls.
  • Withholding federal funds from states that do not cooperate with the order’s provisions. 

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization with expertise in voting and elections. Our mission is to empower voters and defend democracy. For more than a century we have stood in the gap when government falls short of its duty. We will valiantly work to protect voters and free, fair, accessible elections. 

LWV Acts on Challenges to Democracy

~ League of Women Voters of Wayland ~ Leave a comment

LWV Calls on Congress to Act

“The League of Women Voters of the United States along with our state affiliates in 50 states and the District of Columbia, write to express our strong concern about Congress’s abdication of its duty and authority under Article I of the US Constitution. We urge you to exercise your authority to protect the rule of law, defend the Constitution, and end the overreach by the executive branch of government, which is surely leading to harm for millions of Americans. We demand that you honor your oaths and protect your constituents.”

The League of Women Voters of the United States, along with all 51 state Leagues, issued a letter to Congress today urging them to exercise their authority. Read the complete letter here and the press release here.

SAVE Act Action Alert

If you haven’t done so already, please urge your member of Congress to oppose the SAVE Act using this Action Alert. LWVMA, as part of the Election Modernization Coalition, will be meeting with House Minority Whip Katherine Clark next week to discuss the SAVE Act.

LWVUS National Strategy

Please take a few minutes to watch the program recording and review the slides from Defending Democracy 2025. LWVUS CEO Celina Stewart briefed LWVMA membership on the national strategy for the first 100 days of the new administration: focus, discipline, and when the League acts, it will act with speed. LWVMA will take action at the state level to defend against threats from the Trump Administration. Be sure to review the Gold/Silver/Bronze framework on slide 6.

Reminders:

Level of League follows level of government so state and local Leagues will follow LWVUS lead.

We must not waver on our commitment to nonpartisanship: The League does not endorse political candidates or parties. But once a candidate becomes an elected official, they are accountable when they act in opposition to our positions or threaten the US Constitution. The national team is meeting with members of Congress from both parties, and we cannot jeopardize those talks by partnering with partisan organizations for local or state events.

Protest Opportunity: Economic Blackout Feb. 28

LWVUS offers a protest opportunity to join the national economic blackout on Friday, February 28. View this article to learn more. Don’t buy anything that day unless it is from a small business. Spread the word!

Happy 105th Birthday to the League

Watch LWVUS Board President Dianna Wynn’s message here. View the birthday rally here.

Stay Informed

Sign up for email alerts from the national office here. Review all LWVUS statements on the new administration here. Sign up to receive alerts from the Women Defend Democracy campaign here.

Questions? Contact specialists@lwvma.org.