Welcome to the League of Women Voters of Northwest Riverside County
Serving the People of Northwest Riverside County as We Make Democracy Work
Mission Statement
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
Elections
June 5, 2012 Election - Two Primary Systems on One Election Day
Next June, voters will see Presidential Primary candidates on familiar partisan ballots according to political party affiliation.
However, for statewide offices (i.e., state constitutional offices, U.S. Congress, and state legislative offices), all candidates running in the Statewide Primary Election for these offices will appear on a single primary election ballot and voters can vote for any candidate.
In this Top-Two Open Primary system the top two overall vote-getters – not the top vote-getter from each qualified political party – will move on to the general election. Between now and the June 2012 election California voters can look to the League for reliable information about the changes in the election system, the newly redrawn districts, and overall election news in various ways:
Public Policy
City of Riverside Charter Review Committee
Every eight years Riverside's City Council appoints a Charter Review Committee to review our City Charter. As the City Charter is our City's constitution, the committee members have a very important task
The 2011-2012 Committee was made up of 15 citizen applicants who were interviewed and recommended to serve by the Mayor's Nominating and Screening Committee.
The committee met monthly from May 2011 to December 201 and held several public hearings, judging support for amendments to be submitted to the City Council. The Council will decide if the Committee's recommendations should go before the voters on the June 2012 ballot.
Riverside's League of Women Voters, partnering with The Group, the Latino Network, and the NAACP, strongly supports an amendment to our City Charter that will make our the City Auditor's Office more independent.
The amendment will separate the Auditor's Office from the City Manager's Office and require that the office reports first to the City Council and the Citizen's of Riverside.
Background information is available, along with our testimony at the Committee's November and December meetings and remarks from the City Auditors of Berkeley and Stockton,CA.
Campaign Financing and Disclosure
 In January 2010, the Supreme Court upended years of campaign finance reform with its ruling in Citizens United v FEC.
Given the Citizen United ruling, special interest groups spent more than $296 million on the 2010 Congressional midterm - a 330 percent increase over 2006 - with more than $135 million of that coming from undisclosed donors. While money in elections is not necessarily corruptive, an increase like this with the promise of more to come is certainly worth our attention and action.
Read more about the ruling's impact on special interest spending in the 2010 midterm election and what this new reality of campaign spending means for today's voters.
Redistricting California
The first step in redistricting in California is completed: the work of drawing district lines is over. The Citizens Redistricting Commission’s final certified district maps are scheduled to take effect for the June 2012 primary elections.
Visit League of Women Voters California for an update on this successful exercise in good government.
Get Involved in the Initiative and Referendum Process
The initiative and referendum process in California is getting a lot of attention in the press. League members are preparing material for a study of the process by our members. The material will also be available to local Leagues and other groups to help support community education efforts.
Read more about the initiative and referendum study.
 New Voter ID Laws
The League of Women Voters US and state Leagues across the country continue to
work together with coalitions against proposed new laws that will suppress the vote.
7 states now have strict photo ID requirements followed by 7 more states with similar restrictions.
See LWV US President Elisabeth MacNamara's comments about the War on Voting.
California Government Reform
Many Californians believe that our
government no longer functions as intended and are calling for change. The League has long advocated for improvements in budget and fiscal issues, the initiative process, campaign financing, and elections and voting rights.
League of Women Voters California also believes the time has come to untangle the State and Local Fiscal Relationship
Natural Resources
Join the League in defense of Clean Air
Read more about Riverside League's past advocacy efforts on our Public Policy page and visit LWV US and LWV California
 
Join us! LWV California members at the 2009 State Convention If you would rather donate to our League, it is greatly appreciated.
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