By Karen Crowley, President, LWV of Washington

Every election season, someone asks the same question, usually with a raised eyebrow: "If the League of Women Voters doesn't take sides, why does it have so much to say?"

It's a fair question. It's also based on a misunderstanding we'd like to clear up, because the answer is rooted in what democracy requires of people who care about it.

Political distinction
Since our founding in 1920, the League has held this stance: We do not support or oppose any political party or candidate. We don't ask our members who they vote for. We don't fund campaigns. We don't wear party jerseys.

We take this commitment to nonpartisanship seriously. It's why our voice carries above the noise of party politics, and why people across the political spectrum have trusted our voter guides and candidate forums for decades.

But nonpartisan never meant neutral. And it certainly never means silent.

Being partisan means taking a firm side tied to a political party — prioritizing one group's success and often resisting compromise because the goal is winning for the team.

Being political, in contrast, means engaging with civic life, public policy and the problems a community faces. It means showing up to public hearings, pushing for clean water or defending the right to vote — none of which requires choosing a party. That's the League’s distinction: nonpartisan on candidates and parties, unapologetically political on issues.

What this means in practice
We take positions on governmental policy — such as voting rights, environmental protection, education, health care — and do so through study, not allegiance. We follow the policy, not the person or party behind it.

Sometimes that position aligns with a party platform; sometimes it doesn't. That's the whole point: We're don’t push a team. We evaluate whether a policy serves voters and strengthens democracy.

Nonpartisanship does not require silence about the actions of elected officials. Once elected, a candidate becomes our representative. We have a right — even an obligation — to weigh in on policy decisions they make on our behalf.

The League is not neutral about democracy itself. We are pro-voter and pro-democracy, and consider the defense of voting access, government transparency and democratic norms a civic duty — not a partisan strategy.

This year, the League of Women Voters of Washington has taken public positions opposing state ballot initiatives we believe would strip protections from vulnerable children and undermine successful state policy, and we support requiring the highest earners to pay their fair share toward education, health care and working families. None of this is about which party wrote an initiative. It's about what the initiative would actually do.

Standing firm without picking sides
The line between 'political' and 'partisan' isn't always where our critics claim. Those who oppose reforms the League supports sometimes call our advocacy 'partisan' to try to limit our influence. The accusation won’t silence us.

That same clear-eyed confidence guides how we work with others. Partnering with another organization to co-host a voter registration drive, work in a coalition or share the stage at an event does not compromise our nonpartisanship, even if that partner has endorsed a candidate.

What matters is whether the partnership itself stays focused on the shared issue. Each League's board weighs that, considering local conditions and community trust.

In fact, today’s issues warrant deep, authentic coalition work. We are stronger and more effective when we can work together to speak with one voice.

The League’s bright line remains: We will not organize or lead an effort built explicitly to support or oppose a candidate or a party. Everything short of that is a judgment call, made locally.

Bold, loud and still nonpartisan
This moment calls us to be bold enough to name issues, loud enough to be heard without apology, nimble enough to mobilize quickly — all while remaining scrupulously nonpartisan. Those aren't contradictions. They're part of the same muscle the League has flexed for 106 years.

Nonpartisan never meant passive. This discipline lets us fight harder for voters. We don't check our voice at the door to prove we're fair. We stay fair so that our voice means something. That's the deal we made in 1920, and it's the deal we're keeping now.

Members can find tabling guidance HERE↗️.