In 1920, just six months before the U.S. Constitution was amended to give women the right to vote, the National Woman Suffrage Association's president, Carrie Chapman Catt, proposed the creation of the League of Women Voters.

The League's first purpose was to teach women how to exercise their new right to vote. For over 85 years, the League has continued to serve all citizens and has opened its membership to any citizen of voting age, male or female. Today, the League of Women Voters is a three-tier organization, with Leagues at the local, state, and national levels. A person joining any of the local Ohio Leagues is automatically a member of the Ohio and the U.S. Leagues.

As a citizen education organization, the League registers voters, provides unbiased information on candidates and issues, sponsors debates and candidates' nights, and produces informational publications on critical public policy issues.  

Educational publications published by the League of Women Voters of Ohio are on such topics as Ohio government, Ohio government finances, how to write your government representatives, Ohio's open meetings law, and education finance in the state.

The League of Women Voters takes political action on issues on which member agreement has been reached. The Ohio League currently has positions on the Ohio constitution, apportionment/districting, state government finances, primary and secondary education, juvenile justice, and natural resources including water, solid waste, hazardous materials and hazardous waste, land use, and interbasin transfer of water.

Updated February 2008