Voter Information
Voters Guides
For the latest information for the August 24 Primary Election, please visit:
For more information on candidates for Judiciary, Florida State House, and School Board visit:
Keep up with the League...
Visit our blog!
Upcoming Events...
Board Meeting, September 7, 6:00-7:30pm, @ Casselberry Library
Hot Topics:Meet the Candidates:Florida Senate August 19, Lunch and networking at 11:30am,program at noon at Sergio's in Sanford.
JOIN
VOLUNTEER
DONATE
Contact Us Today!
P.O. Box 160394
Altamonte Springs, FL 32716-0394
Phone: 407-339-9266
Fax: 407-772-6678
Seminole County League History
The League of Women Voters of Seminole County began in April
1966 with an ad in the newspaper. Nancy Bowers and I met two young
women in Altamonte and unfortunately, never saw them again.
Luckily we tried again in Sanford where I met with Arlene Tetenbaum
who persuaded Betty Smith to hold a tea to which about 40 women
came and heard Betty Ann Statin of Orlando LWV explain League.
With that, we were off and running.
We began by studying and visiting various aspects of County Government.
Our efforts were later published as Seminole County—its History
and Government.
Looking back that was just a smidgen of how much we learned and
accomplished! Our League members undauntingly jumped right in
and helped draw the lines for the new school districts some 42
years ago.
We were also instrumental in getting Head Start funded and up
and running in our County and initiated the bond issue for seven
new schools to be built. To do this we created newspapers and
stage presentations, and worked with the PTA to help get the bond
issue passed.
Today we are facing added challenges with Pre-K for all our four-year-olds.
The Seminole League was also there to insist that a Juvenile Detention
Center be built in our county. Nancy Bowers always tells the Seminole
County Planners that they owe their jobs to our advocacy efforts--
that is true and now there is a whole Planning Department. LWVSC
sparked the County Library System. Earlier there were only two
libraries in the county-one in Sanford and one in Altamonte Springs.
Kudos to our own leader Helen Smith and other leaguers.
Our League advocated tirelessly to get a bond issue for a park
system passed, which resulted in 17 parks. Pat Burkett of the
Environmental Studies Center (one of our members) led the way
... and all of this happened within the first five years of our
League being formed! Since then we've given two members to the
State League: Marilyn Crotty and Deborah Carswell.
All throughout our existence we were registering voters, holding
candidate forums, interviewing state legislators, publishing newsletters
and the County Government Guide. We've done much more since those
early days. League pushed for our original simple 911 system to
be " enhanced" so that callers could be instantly physically located.
Past President Debbie Carswell says, “I was more or less a committee
of one, but I had the League's clout to back me up and make it
happen."
Other LWVSC projects through the years have included spearheading
the drive to switch from an elected (popular) to an appointed
(professional) school superintendent; publication of the Who's
Who in Local Government; and the Election Extra, which preceded
web page information.
It is impossible to give credit to all the people and groups who
helped with these projects from other organizations to every voter
who has signed our petitions or exercised his/her right to vote,
but we certainly would like to do so. And of course, I have to
give much credit to the County Commissioners because without their
support and vote many of these accomplishments could not have
been attained.
Submitted by Sarah McClendon
National League History
The League of Women Voters was founded by Carrie Chapman Catt in 1920 during the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. The convention was held just six months before the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, giving women the right to vote after a 72-year struggle.The League began as a "mighty political experiment" designed to help 20 million women carry out their new responsibilities as voters. It encouraged them to use their new power to participate in shaping public policy. From the beginning, the League was an activist, grassroots organization whose leaders believed that citizens should play a critical role in advocacy. It was then, and is now, a nonpartisan organization. League founders believed that maintaining a nonpartisan stance would protect the fledgling organization from becoming mired in the party politics of the day. However, League members were encouraged to be political themselves, by educating citizens about, and lobbying for, government and social reform legislation.
This holds true today. The League is proud to be nonpartisan, neither supporting nor opposing candidates or political parties at any level of government, but always working on vital issues of concern to members and the public. The League has a long, rich history,that continues with each passing year.
As written on the National LWV website