The final session of the 2024 LWVWA Council was aimed at helping League members be more confident in remaining nonpartisan in increasingly partisan times. LWVWA President Mary Coltrane opened the session, noting that research done by Washington State University indicates that the League is not generally viewed as nonpartisan by the public. On top of this challenge, many League members report that defending democracy, while embracing nonpartisanship, raises a myriad of difficult questions.

As the final session continued, panel members Karen Tvedt, Ellie Hutton, and Jean Alliman teed-up questions about what nonpartisanship means as Leagues host candidate forums, conduct studies, protect our legacy, recruit leadership (and membership), and establish leadership teams to serve in lieu of local League presidents. Through these discussions, two premises emerged:

1. Promoting democracy and empowering voters is the foundation of the League of Women Voters—and they are non-negotiable.
   
   
2. Clearly differentiating between the League’s voter services work and its advocacy work is critical. This includes remembering that advocacy is not our purpose during our voter education activities, such as GOTV tabling or conducting candidate forums.

While the League is not responsible for rising political polarization in the US—and the redefining of terms like “democracy” or “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)” in increasingly partisan ways—there was agreement among members that the League’s effectiveness can be increased by minimizing the appearance of partisanship. Some suggestions to do this included:

1. Ensuring that candidate forums are civil and inclusive. This includes using skillful moderators and broad outreach for questions—especially including those of concern to local communities. To this end, some members advocated for in-person forums with questions coming from the audience. Other members noted “empty chair” concerns and the need to create environments that promote participation by candidates.
   
   
2. Honing our listening skills to further civil conversations and relationships with those who hold differing views. This includes being aware of words that can be triggers.
   
   
3. Making sure our members, particularly new members, are conversant with our nonpartisan and conflict of interest policies. The distinction between voter service and advocacy work is especially important—we need to be “speaking with one voice.”
   
   
4. Highlighting the work we do that resonates across the political divide—like promoting local news and our elder caregiving study.

In conclusion, against the backdrop of our evolving politics, questions around nonpartisanship will continue to surface, and such open discussions are needed on regular basis within the League of Women Voters, at all its levels.