“We yell, we shout. We care,” said Lydia Winderman, co-chair of the voter registration in Bucks County’s League of Women Voters.
The League of Women Voters was established in 1920 when women first got the right to vote in America. While the league now accepts male representation, their original name remains as a tribute to their history. The League of Women Voters has branches around the country focused on “providing voter education and services and advocating for issues,” according to the website. They care about creating “a democracy where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge and the confidence to participate.” In alignment with their mission to get more people involved in voting, the League of Women Voters visited Quakertown Community High School on March 19th to help young adults register to vote.
“We want people to know this, local elections count a lot. What happens locally impacts your textbooks, it impacts your activities, it impacts how money is spent,” Winderman said. “We want people to care about the community they live in and to come out and fight for that community.”
While visiting Winderman and her coworker, Teresa Androitsos, a member of the voter registration committee, detailed their passion for encouraging students to fulfill their civic duty by visiting high schools in Bucks County. With the upcoming presidential elections, the League emphasized the importance of empowering the community to voice their choice for future leaders of our country. The league is a nonpartisan organization and believes that every vote counts.
“Think about it. Care about it. Get involved,” stated Winderman.
Helping to organize this visit was Bethany Fuller, the sponsor of the Quakertown chapter of the Social Justice Alliance. For three years, Fuller has worked with the Social Justice Alliance on encouraging rights and equality for everyone by inviting the League to the high school.
“People who are just turning 18, they’re here all day. It’s great to provide them the opportunity to register while they are here,” said Fuller. “It makes it easier for them [to fulfill their civic duty] because they have access to all the resources they need.”
The introduction of the League of Women Voters to Quakertown High School aims to help young adults develop as active members of society, contributing to the representation of all citizens in the community, in line with the principles of democracy. Partnering with an influential group such as this league allows the school to introduce its students to civil activism and important duties as a member of the community.
