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Brief / Recent History of the League of Women Voters of Charlotte Mecklenburg

The League recently compiled a history of the last 20+ years. Below you can find highlights of our many activities by clicking through the years. In some places, we added page numbers so you can read more information about the topic in the larger document. For the full report click here

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2022:

Re-introduced Civics 101 Program using a virtual (ZOOM) format. (p. 24)
Advocated for improvements to education in North Carolina; Established an Observer Corps to monitor County Commissions and CMS Board of Education meetings. (p. 23)
Launched a Women’s Pay Parity initiative. (p. 24)
Advocated for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) by the NC General Assembly in 2022.
Raised awareness of the immediate negative impact on women’s healthcare when the US Supreme Court voided Roe v. Wade; Lobbied NC General Assembly to maintain abortion access in NC. (p. 25)
Pursued DEI initiatives internally to improve inclusivity and diversity across the organization. (p. 25)

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2020-2021:

Worked with other League chapters in NC to demand more oversight of private schools using Opportunity Scholarships. (p. 20)
Advocated for increased funding for public schools in NC in 2020. (p. 21)
Worked with several non-profits and faith-based organizations to register voters and ensure they voted. Roof Above and Crisis Assistance were among those organizations. (p. 22)
Held several voter registration and education events at non-traditional sites such as the YMCA, farmers markets, and breweries to expand reach across Mecklenburg County.
Celebrated the 100th anniversary in February 2020 with a successful fundraiser event sponsored by Bank of America. Raising $130,000. (p. 19)
Provided critical voter services, including voter registration and education events, despite pandemic limitations.

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2016-2019:

Advocated for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) by the NC General Assembly in 2019.
Raised concerns about a technical correction to the state's stormwater runoff requirements that could weaken stormwater regulations across North Carolina and the impact on Charlotte in 2019.
Sent personalized postcards to registered voters encouraging them to participate in local elections and candidate forums in 2018, a practice that occurs annually.
Identified seven principles for solution-oriented redistricting reform and collaborated with Common Cause to advocate for better mapping practices in NC in 2018. (p. 16)
Drop in Republican candidates attending candidate forums sponsored by the League began in 2018.
Advocated for changes outlined by the Leandro report to improve public school education in 2018 and each year since.
Conducted a study in 2017 on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) to evaluate the correlation between a school's socioeconomic status (SES) and critical factors such as principal and staff stability, staff credentials, and state-assigned school grades. (p. 14)
Updated League Program in 2017 to support equal access to quality public education and endorsed socioeconomic and racial integration of schools.
Included public safety, infrastructure improvement, funding for lower-income students, and other questions for candidates running for local elections in 2017 such as Mayor, City Council, and School Board to help voters know each candidate's position on each topic.
Collaborated with the Homeless Services Network to host a movie screening and panel discussion on homelessness in 2016.
Agreed to monitor the quality and quantity of the local waterways including sponsorship of clean-up efforts following a panel with the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation in 2016. (p. 14)
Established the Environment and Sustainability Action team in 2016.

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2011-2015:

Identified major voting concerns in 2015 such as the need for more tech-savvy and well-trained poll workers, confusion surrounding potential voter ID laws, use of outdated voting machines, and the cost of separate primaries in collaboration with Democracy NC.
Honored Elizabeth Hair as part of Women's Equality Day celebration in 2015.
Advocated for voter rights and against Voter ID laws which disproportionally impact marginalized communities in North Carolina in 2013. Testified in 2013 against HB 351,(Voter ID law) in 2013 the “Restore Confidence in Government” bill.
Nationally, 1.5 million people used VOTE411.org in 2014 to access election information such as candidate stances on issues, location of early voting precincts, and confirmation of voter registration.
Established the Mixed Housing Coalition in 2011.

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2000-2010:

Published a brochure in 2010 explaining voting rights and process in North Carolina for individuals with misdemeanor and felony convictions in collaboration with the ACLU.
Conducted a study in 2009 of the use of the 287(g) program by sheriffs within NC which revealed that the program had veered from its original purpose. Advocated for policies that limit immigration status checks. (p. 9)
Designed and implemented the New Citizen Registration Program in 2006, allowing new citizens to register to vote at naturalization ceremonies in Charlotte. (p. 7)
Created the High School Registration Project in 2006 to promote voter registration and education in local high schools.
Released a report in 2006 analyzing the governance proposals of the Citizens Taskforce, concluding that the proposed changes to the school board's composition were not in the community’s best interests. (p. 8)
Established Vote411.org, a national resource for voters in 2006 which has since expanded both content and geographic coverage. The website that provides a "one-stop-shop" for nonpartisan election related information at the local level.
Hosted five Russian civic women leaders in 2005 in Charlotte as part of the “Open World Program."
Conducted a study in 2004-5 of domestic violence cases handled in Charlotte Mecklenburg County courts which revealed victims were more likely to be at risk after their partner was convicted. (p. 6)
Showcased presidential candidates' positions and backgrounds in the League newsletter, The Voter.
Advocated for changes to current campaign finance laws with the "Good Cents Campaign" in 2000. (p. 4)
Advocated for reforms to improve the transparency and fairness of the election process, to ensure every citizen's voice could be heard.

Brief / Recent History of the League of Women Voters of Charlotte Mecklenburg

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