NON-PARTISAN POLICY

(approved fall 1988; reviewed 10/27/12; revised 3/1/2016; revised 3/11/2019; revised 5/13/2020; revised 10/2023, revised 4/2024)

  1. The League of Women Voters-Rochester Metropolitan Area is a nonpartisan organization, which does not support or oppose any political party or candidate.
  2. League members in the most public leadership positions such as President, Voter Services chair, and chairs of candidate-interactive activities such as recruiting candidate participation in Vote411 and candidate forums should not engage in public overtly partisan activity. These guidelines have been adopted for League members in the above leadership positions. They:
    1. May not run for public office, may not serve as a chair of a campaign for a candidate for public election, nor serve in public leadership positions in a political party;
    2. May not attend or host fundraising events or make donations to candidates appearing on ballots within Monroe County;
    3. May serve on any public board, commission, committee or coalition; however, they do not represent the League unless officially designated by the League board as a League representative.
    4. May sign petitions for candidates but may not carry petitions for candidates.
    5. May work as an election inspector.
    6. Should refrain from posting or displaying campaign yard signs, bumper stickers or sharing campaign posts on social media.
  3. When a member in a public leadership position decides to take on a prohibited partisan activity, they should inform the board, and the board will decide whether that individual must step down from their League leadership role for the duration of said partisan activities.
  4. The nominating committee or representative of the board should discuss the League’s Non-Partisan Policy with potential board nominees. The President should discuss it with any non-board members in sensitive roles.
  5. The political activities of a spouse or family member are considered as separate and distinct from the activities of a League member.
  6. Candidate forum moderators should be assigned with sensitivity to the appearance of League partisanship.
  7. At the first meeting of the board each year, all board members should sign the nonpartisan policy to indicate their awareness of it, and willingness to comply with it. The policy may be modified by the board from time to time.