Our Legacy - League of Women Voters of Sarasota County

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Our Legacy

1920
LWV FOUNDED TO EDUCATE WOMEN VOTERS
After more than seventy years of struggle, the Nineteenth Amendment gave women the constitutional right to vote. Formed in 1920 by suffragists, the League of Women Voters begins as a "mighty political experiment" designed to help 20 million women carry out their new responsibilities as voters. Learn More...

1939
THE FLORIDA LEAGUE TAKES ON THE CHALLENGE
LWVFL is formed in 1939 by the three local Leagues, St. Petersburg, Winter Haven, and Winter Park-Orlando. There are now 29 local Leagues in the most populous counties with thousands of members. Learn More...

1961
The League of Women Voters of Sarasota County
starts as a Provisional League in 1961 with 109 members. They immediately get to work educating voters, conducting studies on government and local issues, and gaining respect from local officials. Over the next 60 years, League members expand voter services, lend strong support to state initiatives, and advocate for local issues through studies, publications, forums, speakers, and debates.

VOTING: League members teach a course in Practical Politics and join with the Chamber of Commerce in voter registration drives.

BETTER GOVERNMENT: The League publishes “Sarasota County and its Government” and proposes ways to improve its efficiency.

NATURAL RESOURCES: The League conducts a "Study of the management of water conservation and drainage” and takes action to prevent “indiscriminate bayfill.”

PUBLIC EDUCATION: League members support the creation of a non-partisan school board and a 5 mil tax to improve county schools.

LAND USE MANAGEMENT: League members convince the City of Sarasota to purchase North Lido Beach to keep it public, enabling stricter zoning and land use laws.

ENERGY CONSERVATION: The League’s Mass Transit Committee, a response to the energy crisis, leads to Sarasota’s first SCAT buses in 1979.

EXPANDED VOTER SERVICES: The first county voter guides are published. The League registers voters in shopping malls and at public events, a first.

PUBLIC OFFICE: Rebecca Eger, a past president, appointed Sarasota Tax Collector. Many local leadership and active members have gone on to hold public office.

COUNTY PLAN: LWVSRQ helps draft The Sarasota County Comprehensive Plan, which continues to this day. Our League continues to speak out each time the current plan is ignored or efforts are made to weaken it.

CLEAN WATER: League members draft a successful referendum for the county to purchase 30,000 acres, preserved for clean water supply.

TV ELECTION REPORTING: LWVSRQ organizes candidate events on Channel 40’s “Dateline Sarasota” and co-hosts the 1992 election night reporting.

SOLAR ENERGY: The League works to successfully pass Amendment 4 in 2016, making solar power practical and cost effective for individuals.

VOTING RIGHTS: In 2018, League efforts legally restore voting rights to returning citizens (prior felons) and we continue to reach out to those who require assistance.

PUBLIC EDUCATION: In 2023, the Sarasota County School Board considered hiring an inexperienced, biased and politically driven consulting firm to rewrite the county’s public school curriculum. Our Education Action Team mustered public opposition and the School Board reversed course.

VOTER EDUCATION: In 2024, the first Spanish-language Voter Guides and Voter Registration flyers are distributed. Over 1,000 voters attend or view League candidate forums, panels, and speakers for local elections.

GET OUT THE VOTE!: The League’s first comprehensive GOTV media campaign is launched in 2024 to help counteract new voter suppression tactics. Sarasota County exceeded the state average for voter turnout by over 50%.

MAKE AN IMPACT FROM THE GROUND UP. JOIN US.

“If you’re going to live, leave a legacy. Make a mark on the world that can’t be erased.”
Maya Angelou