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The League of Women Voters
The California chapters of this venerable voters’ organization are taking their efforts into the 21st century with a new Internet site called SmartVoter.

Visitors to the Web site can enter their zip code, calling up a complete directory of candidates running for office in their area, including local city council and school board seats. The league also posts explanations of the various ballot initiatives California has become famous for, helping voters decide where they stand. SmartVoter can help citizens find the location of their polling place and map it as well. The site even offers voter registration forms that can be printed off and then submitted.

While the league explores ways to reach voters through technology, it won’t abandon the traditional techniques in use since its 1920 inception--printing paper voter’s guides and sponsoring public forums and debates.

“The Internet is not the only way to advance democracy,” said Betty Mann, league liaison for Northern California. “There are always going to be people without computers. But it is a tool for democracy.”

The California leagues, in fact, prints voters’ guides in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean. They hope to assist newly minted citizens the same way that the LWV helped women carry out their civic duty after gaining suffrage.

“You’re not always going to get everyone into it, but you have to continually expand the tent,” Mann said.

LINKS:
www.smartvoter.org - Produced by the California League of Women Voters
www.lwv.org - national League of Women Voters site