Mission

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. The League influences public policy through advocacy and education advocacy. It never supports or opposes any political party or candidate. Its legal structure is what is known as a 501(c)(4) corporation. The League also maintains an Education Fund that provides voter service and citizen education opportunities. The Education Fund is a nonpartisan, nonprofit public-policy educational organization. Its legal structure is what is known as a 501(c)(3) corporation.

Vision, Beliefs and Intentions

The goal of the League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan, political membership organization, is to empower citizens to shape better communities worldwide. The League therefore is committed to the following:

- Acting after study and member agreement in order to find solutions in the public interest on key community issues at all government levels

- Building citizen participation in the democratic process

- Using education and advocacy to engage communities in the promotion of positive solutions to public-policy issues

The League of Women Voters Education Fund is a nonpartisan, public-policy educational organization that:

- Builds citizen participation in the democratic process

- Studies key community issues at all governmental levels in an unbiased manner

- Enables citizens to seek positive solutions to public- policy issues through education and conflict management

The acitivities of the League and its Education Fund are based on the following beliefs:

- Respect for individuals

- Value of diversity

- Empowerment of the grassroots, both within the League and in communities

This leads the League to do the following:

- Act with trust, integrity and professionalism

- Operate in an open and effective manner to meet the needs of those the League serves--including both members and the public

- Take the initiative in seeking diversity in membership

- Acknowledge the League's heritage as its seeks a path to the future.

History of Kent League:

On March 17, 1953, a group of women met at the home of Mrs. Robert White to discuss formation of a Kent League of Women Voters. The meeting had been arranged by Mrs. White and Mrs. Herbert VanMeter, former League members in Burlington, Iowa, and Oberlin, Ohio, respectively. Mrs. Klinger of Warren, Ohio, and a member of the board of the League of Women Voter's of Ohio, led a discussion of the League, its purpose, programs and organization. As a result, a nominating committee was chosen.

At the first meeting of the Provisional League of Women Voters of Kent on April 21, 1953, Mrs. J. Hale Myers was elected president. "Know Your Town" was the first topic for study. The Kent League, with Mrs. Myers as president, was formally recognized in April 1954. Voter-service work was initiated with the distribution of information about the primary election. Wider distribution resulted when the League's Candidates Bulletin was publised in the local newspaper, the Record-Courier, in 1956.