League of Women Voters of Orange County (Orange County, Calif.)

The League of Women Voters of Orange County (LWVOC) is an Inter League Organization comprised of four local chapters: Capistrano Bay, Central Orange County, North Orange County, and Orange Coast. It traces its roots to the formation of the California Civic League in 1911, following the success of the campaign to allow women the right to vote.

From the description of League of Women Voters of Orange County records, 1957-2001. (University of California, Irvine). WorldCat record id: 57026238

Historical Background

The League of Women Voters of Orange County (LWVOC), California is a grassroots organization that encourages citizens to actively participate in government. It is open to both men and women and is committed to educating the public about elections, the voting process, and social and political issues. The LWVOC conducts studies on issues of public concern, develops a position on each issue, and then takes action on the issue or advocates for a cause.

The LWVOC traces its roots to the formation of the California Civic League in 1911, following the success of the campaign to allow women the right to vote. The League of Women Voters (LWV) was first proposed by Suffragist movement leader Carrie Chapman Catt at a convention of the National Women Suffrage Association (NAWSA) in 1917. It was conceived of as a nonpartisan, nonsectarian organization with representation from every state. Its chief aims were to provide international support for woman suffrage, to watch over state legislatures to prevent legal discrimination on the basis of sex, and to strive to make American democratic institutions fair for all those governed by them. Following the adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, Catt suggested the reorganization of the two million-strong NAWSA into the LWV, an organization that would work for progressive legislation on a national and local level.

In 1921 Catt convinced the California Civic League to merge with the LWV when they adopted the name California Civic League of Women Voters. In 1946 the name was changed to the League of Women Voters of California. In the beginning the LWV California was comprised of local leagues that belonged to either the northern or southern section. By 1963 the LWV California was comprised of many area and county leagues. The LWVOC is an Inter-League Organization (ILO) comprised of four local chapters: Capistrano Bay, Central Orange County, North Orange County, and Orange Coast.

From the guide to the League of Women Voters of Orange County records, 1957-2005, (Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine Libraries)