About the League
100+ Years Fighting for Voting Rights + Access in St. Paul, MN
In 1868, a recommendation to amend the Minnesota constitution by striking the word “male” as a requisite for holding office reached the floor of the Minnesota House of Representatives. The bill was met with laughter and immediately tabled by the men of the House. It wasn’t until 1875 that Minnesotan women were allowed to vote in any capacity, but only in local school elections. It took until 1897 before Minnesotan women were allowed to vote in library elections and hold library offices. Progress was far too slow, and in response, St. Paul women began to form women’s interest groups, such as the Ramsey County Suffrage Association and the Woman’s Welfare League of St. Paul, predecessors to the League of Women Voters of St. Paul (LWVSP).
Our League Was Founded in 1919
On March 24, 1919, the National American Woman Suffrage Association met in St. Louis, Missouri, at which Carrie Chapman Catt, president of the Association, called upon the attendees to “raise up a league of women voters.” The same day, Minnesota enacted legislation to enable women to vote in presidential elections. Responding to the need to educate the expanding electorate in Minnesota, Cornelia Lusk and Jane Burr founded the Ramsey County League of Women Voters in November 1919.
Expanding Democracy
Through Education
During the 1920s and 1930s, the League held day-long schools to instruct voters on the mechanics, history, and value of voting. In 1947, the Ramsey County League of Women Voters closed its doors, and a large portion of its membership became the League of Women Voters of St. Paul. In 1948, LWVSP published You Are the Government, which sold over 17,000 copies in its first year. Since then, LWVSP has published similar guides for decades, including the most recent version, Guide to Government, in 2013.
Local Advocacy
& Civic Impact
During the 1950s, LWVSP published several other pamphlets and successfully lobbied for fair employment practices to become state law. In the 1970s, LWVSP assisted with the creation of St. Paul’s Home Rule Charter. Several League members were on the city’s Founding Committee. In the 1880s, LWVSP collaborated with other community organizations to promote the merger of the City of St. Paul and Ramsey County Health Departments.
Research + Reports
After the 2004 election, LWVSP studied the voting patterns of precincts in the 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2004 elections using 2000 census demographics for St. Paul. In the publication Who Didn’t Vote?, LWVSP analyzed this information to locate areas and populations with the greatest need for voter services. LWVSP’s more recent work includes a 2009 Housing Report study observing the causes and effects of mortgage foreclosures and government actions on affordable housing, as well as recommending policies and practices.
Defending Democracy in the 21st Century
LWVSP was instrumental in the defeat of a voter ID referendum in 2012 that would have disenfranchised many voters, including the elderly, students, and veterans. Today, LWVSP continues to embody engagement and activism through its voter engagement efforts, candidate forums, Learn with the League educational events, and book clubs.
Become part of history by joining the League of Women Voters of St. Paul today.
Oral History Project
In 2015, the Minnesota Historical Society provided a small grant to the League of Women Voters of St. Paul to record oral histories of our organization. This project was made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, established through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008.
The LWV St. Paul hired Kate Cavett, a professional and well-known oral historian, to execute the oral history process. You can learn more about her work at her website. Ms. Cavett interviewed nine long-time members of our local League. You can read the interviews and learn about our history in these links.