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VOTING TOOLS

NEWS

JOIN US

DONATE

ENGAGE.

EDUCATE.

ADVOCATE.

ABOUT US

Established in 1919, the League of Women Voters of Erie County is one of the oldest Leagues in the country. Our mission is to encourage informed and active participation in government, work to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influence public policy through education and advocacy.

The League does not support or oppose any political party or candidate. We believe that through informed participation, people can become engaged in their communities and advocate for public policies they support.

The LWV of Erie County seeks to increase productive dialogue and electoral participation by hosting educational and voter registration events, public forums with candidates and legislators, and round table discussions.

Through research and advocacy, the League works to strengthen our democracy and communities and empowers all Erie County voters to actively participate in government.   JOIN US!

Helen S. Schluraff

Woman suffrage parade.
[CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/LIBRARY OF CONGRESS]

Typical suffrage movement clothing included white clothing with sashes that were tri-colored gold, white, and purple — the colors of the suffrage movement.

As described in a 1913 National Women’s Party newsletter:

PURPLE is the color of loyalty, constancy and purpose and unswerving steadfastness to a cause.

WHITE represents femininity and purity, counteracting the negative attacks that suffragists were portrayed as masculine and ugly.

GOLD, which replaced green from England’s suffrage movement in 1867, is the color of light and life and is the torch that guides our purpose. The switch from green to gold happened as Kansas was considering a passage of state suffrage referendum. Their state flower, the sunflower, was adopted as the flower of the suffrage movement. As a result, the gold inspired by the flower was added to the colors of the suffrage movement. Sunflower had also been a pen name of Elizabeth Cady Stanton as she authored newspaper articles.