Open Works
The League of Women Voters of Baltimore City at Open Works
A Second Home for League of Women of Baltimore City
What do a one hundred and two year old voter advocacy organization and a makerspace have in common? Well, our mission at Open Works is to make tools, technology, and the knowledge to use them accessible to all, and that’s the same approach the League of Women Voters takes to voter advocacy, only with a little less sawdust.
In the months leading up to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, women’s suffrage advocates knew the work of enfranchising women voters extended well past gaining the right to vote. To take on the work of empowering new voters, the National Woman Suffrage Association and the American Woman Suffrage Association merged to form the League of Women Voters. One hundred and two years later, the League of Women Voters is still doing the hard work of maintaining our democracy through voter engagement and education.
When it came time for the Baltimore City chapter to find a second office, more centrally located in the City, Open Works turned out to be the perfect fit! Our flexible space is perfect for meetings and events, and our values around community are very well aligned. Whether it’s the tools of the trade or the tools of democracy, we both believe that the more people who have access the better!
With the Maryland primary coming up on July 19th, you can expect to see the League doing what they do best, which is making sure as many eligible voters as possible are registered and well informed. In addition to providing voter registration resources, the league also puts out voter guides, holds candidate forums, and even has League members at the public library ready to help get voting resources to anyone who comes asking.
This year they’ve taken on the work of engaging with high school students, helping foster youth lead efforts to increase voter registration for eligible students, and worked with them to plan a voter registration fair through the schools later this month (4/29).
We’re honored this distinguished organization has chosen Open Works as a second home and we’re really looking forward to seeing how they use this space to engage with Baltimore City voters.
If you need voter registration information, election resources, or want to get involved with the League of Women Voters visit: www.lwv-baltimorecity.org.
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