Voter Guide Policy

VOTER GUIDE POLICY

(May 2008; November 2012; January 2013, September 2017, November 2018)

The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization dedicated to providing voters with information so they can make informed election choices. The League does not endorse candidates or parties, nor does it support or oppose ballot questions in its voter guides. For general elections, the LWVNM Board of Directors determines the questions asked of candidates for statewide and district offices. Questionnaires for down-ballot races and descriptions of local government ballot items are determined by the voter services committee and board of directors of the appropriate local League. Voter guides are published on League websites and printed at the discretion of each local League.

  1. Questionnaires will be sent to the official candidate address of all candidates facing opposition whom the Secretary of State has certified by August 10. Unopposed candidates will have their names listed with the other candidates. These candidates are generally not asked to respond to the League’s questionnaires. Additional information may be included at the option of the state or local voter guide editor if space is available.
  2. The League assumes no responsibility for the content of candidate responses, which are published exactly as submitted up to the word limit. If the League deems that there is defamatory or false content in any candidate’s responses, the candidate will be given the opportunity to reword that response. Should a candidate refuse to remove language that the League determines to be objectionable, the League has the prerogative to inform the candidate that the objectionable response will not be published. If necessary, the League may defer to the opinion of counsel, but the League’s decision is final.
  3. In fairness to all candidates, strict word limits are enforced, and all responses are printed in paragraph form. Lists are converted into paragraph format by inserting punctuation after each item in the list. Responses in caps, bold, and italics are converted to standard format. The League does not edit for meaning, grammar, punctuation, spelling, or accuracy (apart from the caveats in #2).
  4. A strict deadline for receipt of responses is followed, generally at least two weeks after the questionnaires are mailed or emailed. If no reply is received by the deadline, the words, “No reply received” will be printed by the candidate’s name.

LWV Mission

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan, political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

505-884-8441 www.lwvnm.org leaders@lwvnm.org