90 years ago —out of the spirit of the suffrage movement and the shock of the First World War—came a momentous idea: that a nonpartisan civic organization could provide the education and experience the public needed to ensure the success of democracy. Leading suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt first proposed the creation of an organization to mobilize women to ''finish the fight'' of attaining rights for women and aid in the reconstruction of the nation.

Out of Catt's idea came The League of Women Voters, founded on Valentine's Day in 1920, six months before the final ratification of the 19th Amendment. Today, as a grassroots organization active in all 50 states and more than 800 communities, the nonpartisan League of Women Voters remains one of the most trusted nonprofits on matters of government reform and voter education. Visit the League's special 90th Anniversary page here.

As early as the 1920s, League members set up classes to train volunteer teachers for citizenship schools, initiated ''Know Your Town'' surveys, and conducted nationwide registration and get-out-the-vote operations specifically geared toward ensuring newly-enfranchised women had the information needed to cast their hard-won votes. These activities continue around the country today.

Moreover, starting in the 1920s and 1930s, Leagues throughout the country published candidate questionnaires and held forums, sponsoring the first national radio broadcast of a candidate debate. In 1976, the League sponsored the first televised presidential debates since 1960, earning an Emmy award. The League hosted again in 1980, 1984 and a primary debate in 1992, eventually withdrawing as a sponsor of General Election debates in 1988 over concerns about party control. Watch a video about the League's role in presidential debates here.

Throughout its nine decades, the League has led the fight on key national issues as well, serving as a pivotal supporter for the founding of the United Nations as well as the landmark Voting Rights Act. Later, the League advocated strongly in support of the Motor Voter law, the Voting Rights Act and the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act. League members have also mobilized Americans on a wide range of issues including energy and the environment, health care, equality of opportunity and more.

Today, the League continues its core work while also focusing on finding new ways to help Americans remain active, involved citizens. From their continued leadership on a wide range of advocacy issues including global climate change, health care, civil liberties, voting rights and money in elections, to their tireless efforts to ensure voters have access to the information they need to successfully cast a vote, League members at all levels work every day to fulfill the mission set by their suffragist forerunners ninety years ago.

The League has everything you need to vote in 2010

The League of Women Voters is focused on helping Americans vote in 2010! League members across the country are registering new voters, sponsoring nonpartisan candidate and issue forums, and educating voters about what to expect when they head to the polls.

Much of this is accomplished through the League's cornerstone voting resource, VOTE411.org, which has since 2006 served tens of millions of voters by providing a voter registration tool, a polling place look-up, localized nonpartisan candidate information and much more.

The League has also taken on a number of initiatives aimed at engaging under-represented populations—especially young people, low income individuals, and minorities—in the voting process. League members are mobilized to fight back against barriers to voting and support pro-voter reforms in key states.

This election is too important to sit on the sidelines! Visit VOTE411.org today to learn about your rights, register to vote, and get ready to participate on Election Day 2010. Want to find more ways to get involved? Find your Local League here!



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Elisabeth MacNamara is President of League of Women Voters of the United States