League of Women Voters of the Bay Area

The League of Women Voters of the Bay Area (LWVBA) was formally established in California's San Francisco Bay Area in 1961 to address regional concerns. The LWVBA is a non-partisan political organization and its mission is to encourage citizen participation in government and influence public policy through education and advocacy. Composed of more than 20 local Bay Area leagues, the LWVBA is organized under the League of Women Voters of the United States as an inter-league organization. As one of the oldest organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area concerned with regional solutions to area wide problems, the LWVBA has adopted programs on regional government, regional planning, and many other programs of public interest.

Organizational History

The League of Women Voters of the Bay Area (LWVBA) was formally established in California's San Francisco Bay Area in 1961. Organization of the LWVBA began in 1957 when the League of Women Voters Alameda County Council received permission from the League of Women Voters of California to call a meeting of several local Bay Area leagues to consider regional problems and possibly a regional organization. Four years later, the LWVBA was formally established to address regional concerns in the Bay Area.

The LWVBA is a non-partisan political organization and its mission is to encourage citizen participation in government and influence public policy through education and advocacy. The LWVBA neither supports nor opposes political candidates and parties, but does take action on select issues in the public interest.

The League of Women Voters works at the local, state, and national levels, paralleling the levels of United States government. The parent organization, the League of Women Voters of the United States, was formed out of the Women's Suffrage Movement in 1920 after the ratification of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. The League of Women Voters of the United States recognizes the LWVBA as an inter-league organization composed of local Bay Area leagues.

The LWVBA comprises more than 20 local leagues, located in the nine counties that adjoin the San Francisco Bay. The local leagues are unified by one Bay Area governing council that is made up of representatives from each local league. This structure makes it possible for study and action on region-wide problems and aids in inter-league communication throughout the Bay Area. The LWVBA reports directly to the statewide League of Women Voters of California.

As one of the oldest organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area concerned with regional solutions to area wide problems, the LWVBA has adopted programs on regional government, regional planning, and many other programs of public interest. Local league members determine the issues to be studied. After research, study, and a process of member agreement called consensus, LWVBA positions are reached. Without a statement of position, action may not be taken on an issue. Action and education activities in LWVBA program areas include testifying at the state level and before regional boards, sponsoring conferences, and producing videos, publications, and workshops.

The first program of study during 1959-1960 was an analysis of Bay Area problems and possible solutions. The consensus resulting from this study was support for a regional approach to government in the Bay Area. While action and support for regional government and planning has remained the underlying theme of LWVBA programs, the LWVBA has also targeted other areas of study in subsequent years. The 1966-1968 program included the league's first environmental study. On the 1970-1972 program the league's first transportation study appeared, followed by the first land use study in 1972-1974. In the 1974-1976 program, the LWVBA added housing to its agenda of relevant public issues. Elements of later programs included California Environmental Quality Act mitigation and economics in the Bay Area. All of the areas of study mentioned above continue to be vital elements of the LWVBA program.