League of Women Voters of Nevada relaunched after 2020 dissolution

The League of Women Voters relaunched its Nevada state league Thursday following its dissolution in 2020 after the voters’ rights group’s national branch accused the state’s former leadership of multiple policy violations.

Among the issues at the heart of the dispute between local and national leadership were a lack of diversity within the chapter and partnerships with non League-approved entities, according to Sondra Cosgrove, former Nevada chapter president and executive director and board chair for Vote Nevada.

According to a press release, the state league’s relaunch has a “distinct focus on diversity, equity and inclusion,” with Nevada residents of all gender identities invited to join the “nonpartisan voter empowerment movement.”

The national body continued to work with members in Nevada to rebuild the state’s league after its dissolution in December 2020, “following a period of assessment and renewal,” according to the release.

“LWV of Nevada is excited to relaunch to make democracy work for the voters of our great state” said Barbara Wells, the new president of the state chapter, in a statement. “With Election Day just a few short months away, our priority is supporting voters with the election information they need.”

Cosgrove told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that it’s “great” the state league is relaunching. “The League of Women Voters is a legacy, a voting rights organization, and I hope them the best,” she said.

While president of the state league, Cosgrove said, she attempted to tackle the issue of gerrymandering in Nevada by advocating for a redistricting commission.

After being sued by several “Democratically-aligned” groups, Cosgrove said she wrote an Op-Ed about hypocrisy within the party, which at the time controlled the state Legislature.

“It was soon after that that the League of Women Voters U.S. started saying I was in violation of policy,” Cosgrove said.

Moving forward, Cosgrove said she hopes that the state league will address voting issues, such as the disenfranchisement of voters who had their mail-in ballots thrown out due to a lack of matching signatures, head-on and from a nonpartisan perspective.

“Nevadans deserve a strong League of Women Voters to ensure their right to vote and provide them with trustworthy, nonpartisan election information, Dianna Wynn, board president of the League of Women Voters of the United States, said in a press release.

Cosgrove said she has reached out to the state league’s new leadership to see if Wells would like to meet with former board members.

Wells was unable to accommodate an interview, instead sharing a statement saying that the board has “reached out to over 1,000 former members over the past year with an invitation to join the new state League.”

Contact Estelle Atkinson at eatkinson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @estellelilym on X and @estelleatkinsonreports on Instagram.