About the League

On April 25, 2025, federal agents arrested Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan at her courthouse for allegedly obstructing the unlawful arrest of Eduardo Flores-Ruiz. Read the League’s statement here.

Today, for the first time in its 105 year-old history, the League of Women Voters has declared that democracy is in a constitutional crisis. “The foundational principles that have sustained our democracy — checks and balances, the rule of law, free and fair elections — are under direct and sustained threat.” This is a sad and alarming time for our nation, but I am proud to be part of an organization that is willing to speak up and fight for our democracy. ~Diane Wynn, President of the League of Women Voters of the US

Washington, DC — Today, Celina Stewart, CEO of the League of Women Voters, and Dianna Wynn, president of the League of Women Voters, released the following statement:

“It has now been 87 days since the start of the Trump administration. From the flagrant disregard for congressional authority and governmental checks and balances to defying Supreme Court orders to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia back home, one thing is abundantly clear: our country is in a constitutional crisis.

“We the people must fight back. That is why the League of Women Voters is launching a powerful new initiative, Unite and Rise 8.5.

“Unite and Rise 8.5 will engage and mobilize 8.5 million voters between now and November 2026 to protect and preserve our democratic institutions.

“The foundational principles that have sustained our democracy — checks and balances, the rule of law, free and fair elections — are under direct and sustained threat. In this extraordinary moment, we cannot proceed with business as usual. All Americans — no matter who you voted for in 2024 — need to come together, stand united, and fight back to save our democracy. We cannot afford to fail the generations to come.”

About Unite and Rise 8.5: Starting May 1, the League will launch the Unite and Rise 8.5 initiative, which aims to mobilize 8.5 million voters using the power of voter engagement as a cornerstone of our democracy. Unite and Rise 8.5 will showcase the many ways voters can drive change, including through advocacy, mobilization, civic education, and engagement. The initiative is part of LWV’s Women Defend Democracy campaign.

The House voted to restrict access to voter registration

The House voted to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act by a margin of 220-208. This bill would require eligible Americans to provide documentary proof of citizenship in person in order to register to vote.

Ahead of the vote, League members and supporters sent nearly 80,000 emails to Congress urging them to vote “No.” Unfortunately, an unfounded fear of noncitizens voting in our elections led the House to pass this bill despite the fact that it is already illegal for non-citizens to register and vote in federal or state elections.

Use this action alert to send your Senator a letter calling on them to protect American voters by rejecting this bill.

Legislation like the SAVE Act is another in a long list of tactics, like strict voter photo ID requirements and limitations on voter assistance in languages other than English, which seek to make it more difficult for women, voters of color, and naturalized citizens to vote. Americans do not need MORE obstacles to vote.

Speak up. Your voice matters. Here are four opportunities to take quick action:

Send your Senator a message with this action alert.

Sign the Resistbot ‘Vote NO: The SAVE Act is Voter Suppression’ petition.

Find your legislators and tell them to oppose the SAVE Act with FiveCalls.

Tell the Senate to vote NO on the SAVE Act.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, volunteer-based, political organization consisting of women and men passionate about our democracy. Born out of the national women’s suffrage movement in 1920, the League continues to work to serve the needs of the voting public and protect the rights of all voters.

Our efforts are two-fold:
Voters Service, Citizen Education – presenting unbiased, nonpartisan information about elections, the voting process and current issues.

Action, Advocacy – following education on the issue(s), action is taken towards enacting policies in the public interest and striking down policies harmful to society.

A just society is derived from a democracy consisting of an engaged and educated public that has faith in the political process.

The League of Women Voters is a membership organization encouraging action and advocacy as a nonprofit 501(c)(4) corporation. To conduct our voter service and citizen education activities, funds are derived from the Florence Ryan Education Fund, which is a 501(c)(3) corporation, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to building citizen participation in democratic process, studying key community issues at all government levels in an unbiased manner, and enabling people to seek positive solutions to public policy issues through education and conflict management.

The League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County currently offers meetings and events for members as well as educational programs for the public. Quarterly member events include two meetings each year, a Holiday Social in winter and an Annual Luncheon & Meeting in May or June. League action teams and committees also hold regular meetings for the members involved in those groups.

Join us! Check us out on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky. And check out our YouTube Channel for past meetings and voting issues we’re involved with. Our Calendar page has upcoming events.

Connect with your State League: North Carolina League of Women Voters
Connect with the National League: National League of Women Voters

Our chapter is centered around Buncombe County and includes several adjoining counties. This is the homeland of the Cherokee and other nations. We recognize the sovereignty and traditional territories of these local tribal nations, the treaties used to remove them, and the histories of dispossession. We honor and respect the many diverse indigenous people who came before us, who are still here, and who are connected to the land on which we reside.