The League of Women Voters of Claremont Area was represented by Tressa Kentner and Barbara Nicoll at the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) national convention in Chicago recently.

More than 1,000 nationwide leaders attended workshops and heard from guest speakers about League priorities.

Founded in Chicago in 1920, the League of Women Voters is active in all 50 states with more than 750 chapters across the country.

“Convention was an incredible opportunity to connect with and learn from League leaders who are actively working in their communities to empower voters and defend democracy,” Barbara Nicoll said.

The event kicked off with a conversation on redistricting. Attendees heard from Nick Stephanopoulos and Ruth Greenwood, who served on the legal team for the plaintiffs in the US Supreme Court case Gill v. Whitford, which the Court decided in June.

“Partisan and racial gerrymandering is a huge problem in this country, and the League is fighting to make sure voters elect politicians who truly represent their interests, rather than elected officials picking their constituents,” Tressa Kentner said.

Over the four-day convention, delegates voted on the priorities that the national organization should focus on for the next biennium such as the “Campaign for Making Democracy Work,” which aims to ensure a free, fair and accessible electoral system for all eligible voters. 

On the final night of convention attendees heard from Elaine Weiss, author of The Women’s Hour.

“Hearing Elaine Weiss recount the final push for women’s suffrage in this country reminded me how important the League of Women Voters is to this day,”?Ms. Kentner said. “The number of women in elected offices does not reflect the demographic makeup of women in our communities. This is an important midterm election year, and the League is committed to making sure the voters in the Claremont area have the resources they need to participate in November,” Ms. Kentner emphasized.