Patricia Burger joined Larimer County’s chapter of the League of Women Voters more than seven years ago because she wanted to educate voters in a nonpartisan way. She believed in our system. And boy, that hasn’t been easy in the last few years.
We’ve had multiple impeachments, an insurrection, an assassination attempt, the current president dropping out of the 2024 presidential race months before election day and a larger percentage of people who have expressed distrust in our democracy (even some candidates) than we’ve had since the ’60s.
Burger, the chapter’s president, acknowledges that these times make it difficult to defend our democracy without appearing one-sided. That’s the purpose of the league, which works to keep voters sharp in a time of misinformation, slanted news reports and slanderous statements on social media.
“It’s something we talk about on a regular basis,” Burger says. “We have a specific nonpartisan policy, but if you talk to some, they might claim that the league isn’t nonpartisan. That has made it an interesting conversation.”
Burger and others in the league remain staunchly neutral. When Burger discusses the recent challenges to our democracy, she refuses to blame a single candidate.
“We are somewhere in the messy middle, if you will,” she says.
Beth DeHaven
The league was formed in 1920 after the 19th Amendment was passed and gave women the right to vote. Despite those roots, members prefer to focus on the issues themselves and not their gender. In fact, the league decided to include men in their organization back in 1973. Two men currently sit on the Larimer County chapter’s board of directors.
Since they have male members, Julie Stackhouse, a board member, doesn’t think of the league as exclusively a women’s group, even though one of its missions is to defend women’s rights. Burger says she feels solidarity with the women who fought for their right to vote, though she believes it’s important to love everyone. She also agrees with Stackhouse that the organization would “enjoy having more men.”
“I’m married to a man, and I have two sons, but I love my women’s hiking group,” Burger says. “I do connect [with other women] in that way.”
Both admit that the issues themselves can be contentious and make them appear biased. Today, that means addressing issues such as quality health care, the environment and affordable housing, which is why Stackhouse joined the group after moving to Fort Collins from St. Louis a couple of years ago.
“I was appalled,” Stackhouse says of the cost of housing. “It’s just different here.”
The organization’s best flagpole against those perceptions remains its robust voter kit, which the league provides on its website. Members spend a lot of time on it and try to cover every question voters will face in any election, including local issues.
“We have candidates answer questions, and we put whatever their answers are, typos and all,” Burger says.
Ann Gabel, Christine Lehman and Linda Thomas at CSU last year.
They don’t shy away from the hotter issues, either. The league provides tips on its website for how to tell whether a story is bogus without calling out news organizations. The website doesn’t list specific information or name any names; it simply lists ways to recognize whether the information itself is false.
On Sept. 9, the league is offering a program on integrity in elections and will discuss with a crowd whether they can trust the results of an election. The program will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Fort Collins Senior Center and will include a Zoom option.
“The system in Colorado is excellent,” Burger says, “but we can improve on it.”
The league educates voters in person, too. They visit schools, organizations and even jails to try to help voters make up their own minds regardless of their political affiliation. They teach people how to track their ballots and warn younger voters that they need to sign their ballots carefully, given that their sometimes sloppy signatures are the ones most clerks flag for questioning. Burger blames this on the fact that schools don’t teach cursive anymore.
Last month, the league held a Women’s Equality Day celebration in honor of local women who have demonstrated efforts to expand and protect voting rights, empower other women to reach their full potential and foster a culture where gender doesn’t hinder opportunity. This year’s honorees were Joy Sullivan, president and CEO of United Way of Larimer County, and Gretchen Haley, senior minister at Foothills Unitarian Church. Marion Underwood, Colorado State University provost and executive vice president, was the keynote speaker.
The noise of recent elections, including this especially contentious one, can wear voters down, but the league’s work to counteract that noise keeps Burger’s spirits high. Whenever she researches local elections and sees the care that goes into ensuring they are fair and free, she is encouraged to work that much harder to keep democracy alive.
“I know people complain, but they’re not putting their feet into action,” Burger says. “The way I maintain my faith in the system is by educating myself and helping other people do the same.”