League Endorses Creation of National Democracy Month

The League sent a letter to U.S. Senators encouraging them to support and pass a resolution making September National Democracy Month. 

Dear Senator:

The League of Women Voters, with affiliates in communities across your state, joins four former Senate Majority Leaders, Bob Dole, George Mitchell, Tom Daschle, and Trent Lott, who serve on the board of the American Democracy Month Council (ADMC) in urging your co-sponsorship of a bipartisan Senate resolution to establish September 2019 as National Democracy Month. Also joining in this effort are many distinguished members of the ADMC’s Advisory Board, including George Stephanopoulos, John Negroponte, Tony Blinken, Norm Ornstein, Olympia Snowe, and Tom Korologos, among others.

The Resolution is being introduced by the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Lindsey Graham and Dianne Feinstein, respectively. The similar resolution passed last year with 25% of the Senate joining as co-sponsors.

Born out of the movement that gave women the right to vote, the League of Women Voters is the only organization founded before the 19^th Amendment that is still in existence today. Our mission of empowering voters and defending democracy puts us on the front lines of civic engagement and voter empowerment. There is growing awareness of the need to reform and support our democracy in our country. The 2018 election was a referendum in support of our democracy, but there is still much work to be done. We believe that the declaration of September as Democracy Month will also pair well with National Voter Registration Day (NVRD), a day where grassroots organizations work together to register voters. The League has maintained the status as the largest on the ground partner when registering voters in communities across the country on this day. Just as Black History Month helped educate Americans about African American history, so too National Democracy Month will focus American citizens on a revitalization of civic education and understanding and appreciation for our democracy.

To co-sponsor the resolution, please contact Blair Bjellos of Chairman Graham’s staff at [email protected] or Christopher Gaspar in Senator Feinstein’s office at [email protected].

We look forward to hearing of your co-sponsorship of this important resolution.

                                                                Sincerely,

                                                                Chris Carson

                                                                President