A national grassroots organization founded to help women become more engaged in politics when they won the right to vote in the U.S. is celebrating 100 years of existence this month. And members of the local chapter plan to join in the festivities.

The League of Women Voters of South San Mateo County, established in 1955, will celebrate the Feb. 14 anniversary of its parent organization – widely known as the LWV – with a party in August.

The national organization was launched six months before the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1920, granting women the right to vote. The founders' goal was to teach 20 million new voters about political issues and how to cast a vote, according to the national group's website.

The focus of both the national organization and the local chapter has broadened over the years to include all voters men were welcomed into league chapters in 1973, according to the organization. The league now registers voters, moderates local candidate forums and debates, provides voters with election voter guides, and educates people on important public policy issues, local chapter President Tracy Clark said.

"It's the best thing I've ever done," Kathleen Weisenberg of Atherton said of joining the local chapter 50 years ago when she moved to the area. "It's a wonderful way to serve our community. ... We're doing an amazing job right now at educating voters on the ballot measures."

For example, the local chapter – which includes members living in Atherton, Menlo Park, Portola Valley, Woodside, East Palo Alto, and Redwood City – will host a presentation on the pros and cons of possible amendments to Proposition 13, which governs property taxes in California. The measure is on the November ballot.

"We're nonpartisan, while the rest of the country is so partisan right now," Clark said. "People look to the league for nonpartisanship. We co-sponsor events because people know of our nonpartisan format, election guide, evenhandedness and reliability. ... We've remained impartial and relevant for 100 years, and that's an amazing accomplishment."

Leading into the March 3 primary, the chapter worked in precincts with historically low turnout such as East Palo Alto, Menlo Park's Belle Haven neighborhood and Redwood City to register voters. Weisenberg noted that it's important, in any community, that "all voices are heard so good laws are passed."

Growing the chapter

The local chapter was initially called the League of Women Voters of Menlo Park, and included 127 members when it was established in 1955, according to chapter officials. It was led by Doris Ensign, who served as its president for the first year.

In November 1961, the members voted to change the name to the League of Women Voters of South San Mateo County, reflecting the cities and unincorporated areas within its current membership area.

Four years ago, with membership down to 103, local chapter officials decided to revitalize the group. Attendance at events was down and volunteers were overloaded with work, officials said. (Over the years, the local chapter's membership dwindled in number as women went back to work, Weisenberg explained.)

A core group of local veteran league leaders banded together to form an ad hoc membership team, chaired by Weisenberg. The chapter contacted the Stanford Graduate School of Business for assistance in analyzing its strengths and weaknesses, and gathered recommendations on how to improve and expand.

The local chapter now has 171 members, Clark said.

Efforts to recruit more members have included upgrading the chapter's website, sending out more frequent e-newsletters, engaging more with community members through events – such as book discussions and a breakfast with East Palo Alto Mayor Lisa Gauthier – and other outreach, according to the organization.

Chapter priorities

Aside from voter outreach, the local chapter's board focuses on education, choosing several topics each year to highlight in the community. For 2020, board members chose sea level rise, voter outreach, housing and transportation, Clark said.

A March 14 event at Woodside Village Church will address climate change and how San Mateo County is responding to sea level rise.

The chapter, in collaboration with the nonprofit Belle Haven Action, won a $14,000 Silicon Valley Community Foundation grant to increase its outreach program before the March primary. Most of the money goes toward hiring part-time canvassers to walk precincts that have historically low turnout, and hand out election and census flyers.

The chapter in recent weeks has been organizing voter outreach tabling events – about 50 of them – across the South County before March 3.

"Democracy is not a spectator sport," said Weisenberg. "We all have to jump in to do our part."

For more on the local chapter, go here.

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