Helping Democracy Work

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Members of the Las Virgenes unit of the League of Women Voters take it in turns to host the monthly meetings.

Exercising our right to vote can be complicated. It’s not just a case of electing one person or party over another; there are pages of ballot measures and issues — often obscure and contradictory — to consider. An informed electorate is vital. In the effort to make this all-important information available is the League of Women Voters (LWV), an organization founded in 1920 to help women play a larger role in public affairs when they won the right to vote, after the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified that year. In 1973, its charter was modified to include men.

In a time when many American women are feeling disenfranchised, the LWV’s mission seems more relevant than ever — to create an informed and active electorate.

“One of our main tenets is voter information. We provide speakers for gubernatorial and presidential elections,” Ellen Pangarliotas, of LWV’s Las Virgenes unit, said. She has been a member for 43 years, chairs the speakers bureau and has been scheduling speakers since the Carter administration. “They are trained to deliver the measures in a nonpartisan way and do enough research so that when they go out to speak, they can answer any questions.”

The local LWV has around 30 speakers who addressed more than 100 meetings during this past election. 

“The speaker arrives with printed, non-partisan materials and explains each measure, allowing time after each one to answer questions,” Pangarliotas said. “The goal is not only to educate voters, but to make sure the information is delivered in an impartial way, so no one has a clue as to which way the speaker would vote.” 

Pangarliotas said she was proud of the fact not even her fellow members, with whom she has become friends, know which way she votes.

The bureau usually charges a small fee, but there are exceptions. 

“We pro bono libraries and schools,” Pangarliotas said, “because that’s how we get more people to vote.”

The Las Virgenes unit has nine members who meet the second Tuesday of the month at each other’s homes and take it in turns to be the leader. They study and discuss subjects like childcare, education, water and community policing. LWV’s national program committee approves the programs for discussion with guidelines for national, state, city and local issues.

Although men are welcome and often play prominent roles in LWV, the league retained its original name. 

“We don’t want to change the name, as the League of Women Voters has such a wonderful reputation that, if we abandoned it, anyone could take it up,” meeting host Judy Jordan said.

David Holtzman, former president of the Los Angeles City LWV and now the chairperson of the Westside unit, is the grandson of a suffragist. Jordan shared this story: “David told us that the name ‘suffragette’ was given by the press to belittle women. If she ever heard anyone use that term, David’s grandmother would say, ‘No, we were suffragists.’”

Debbie Verity is the current Las Virgines unit leader. 

“We always enjoy these opportunities for lively discussion and welcome new members from Malibu and Topanga,” she said. While all the members are vital and contribute greatly, an influx of younger people is needed to take up the mantle of these local citizens who got involved and help “make democracy work.”

There is also a San Fernando Valley unit that meets in Woodland Hills at the Platt Library on the third Thursday afternoon of each month. Anyone is welcome to attend at any location as a guest.

For more information, visit lwv.org