Program Planning - League of Women Voters of Palo Alto

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PROGRAM
PLANNING

In League lingo, Program refers to the issues that we choose for concerted study, education and action at local, state and national levels. The Program Planning process is how we choose those issues and our method of deciding which public policy issues we should focus on for community education and advocacy. Program Planning is fundamental to the League's grassroots nature; each member has the opportunity to influence the selection of issues where the local, state, and national League will focus time, talent and money.

Program Planning 2025-2026

LWV of Palo Alto Local Program Priorities for League Year 2025-2026
League members voted on the following priorities at their annual meeting in May 2025: Program planning is the League's process of selecting public policy issues for education and advocacy to move our mission forward.
LWVUS (National), LWVC (California), and LWV of Palo Alto look to our grassroots members to help decide priority issues for education and advocacy. National program planning takes place in even numbered years and California program planning takes place in odd numbered years.

LWVUS Program for 2024-26
The LWVUS Board recommends that the national program for 2024–2026 continue to be Campaign for Making Democracy Work®, which focuses on: voting rights; improving elections; money in politics; redistricting; and abolishing the Electoral College. The goal is to ensure a free, fair, and accessible electoral system for all voters at this critical time for our democracy.

LWVC Program for 2025-2027 (Results sent to LWVC in March for consideration at LWVC convention in June 2025)
1) Should Making Democracy Work continue as a State League priority for 2025-2027? Yes--with special emphasis on challenging mis or disinformation.
2) Should Housing and Homelessness, Climate Change, and Criminal Justice Reform continue as LWVC priority issues for 2025-2027, as well as Making Democracy Work? Yes

LWV Palo Alto Program for 2025–2026
Making Democracy Work® is a core mission of our League, ensuring fair and open elections, voting rights, addressing money in politics, and countering misinformation. Other local priorities adopted at our May 2025 Annual Meeting include:

Affordable Housing for All
Local Campaign Finance Reform
Climate Action/Natural Resources
Gun Violence Prevention

All issues are looked at through a DEI lens.

How does the League take action?

League Position:

The League of Women Voters takes action on an issue only when we have a position addressing it.

We develop a position on an issue through study and consensus by our members. Studies (whether local, state, or national) are a defined process during which we undertake thorough pursuit of facts and details, both positive and negative, and come to a consensus about policy.

Advocacy:

The League uses its positions to advocate for policies, legislation and ballot measures which it believes would best serve the public interest and against proposals which are in conflict with those goals.