ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The League of Women Voters is celebrating its 100th anniversary in Rochester this weekend. For a century, the nonpartisan nonprofit has worked to get people, especially women, to the polls.

The league was founded by the same women who helped push the 19th Amendment over the finish line. Once they had the right to vote, the league helped women to educate themselves on the issues they cared about. The league worked to spark that interest and collect resources on the issues and politicians.

“It’s crazy for us not to vote,” said Stephanie Watson, a member of the League of Women Voters. “I don’t know any other way to put it, but it’s absolutely necessary for women to vote. And if we want to see change, we want to see women uplifted and continue to within this land that we’re in — you gotta vote.”

Once voting became commonplace among women, the league set its sights on other underrepresented demographics, including kids and teens. They instill civic engagement in kids at a young age and even pre-register 16 and 17 year olds.

“We also organize campaign debates to give voters a chance to hear candidates express their views,” said Barbara Grosh, president of the League of Women Voters. “That’s a challenge because some candidates aren’t eager to be questioned in a public way where they have to put their sentences together and express their opinions, so it doesn’t always go as well as we hoped.”

Grosh says the league is still the biggest voter registration organization in Monroe County. The organization also works to create an informed voter base.

“We help them understand who’s running and what their positions are so a voter can decide what is it who is it that’s consistent with my values and my self-interest,” Grosh said.

The league will celebrate its 100 years with a party downtown on Saturday, which is also the last day to register to vote and the first day of early voting. Anyone registered in Monroe County can vote at the event at Parcel 5. If you come to Parcel 5, you can have a marching band escort you to the Board of Elections, where you can put your ballot in early and make your voice heard.

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