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Fresno’s League of Women Voters Upholds Democracy’s Promises

  • 3 days ago
  • 3 min read
A mural commissioned by the League of Women Voters was unveiled in downtown Fresno in May 2026.  The mural, painted by Will Portis, celebrates the evolution of voting rights in American history.  Scenes depict critical moments, including the Civil War, the passage of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments, and the 100-year struggle for women’s right to vote, culminating in the 19th Amendment.
A mural commissioned by the League of Women Voters was unveiled in downtown Fresno in May 2026.  The mural, painted by Will Portis, celebrates the evolution of voting rights in American history.  Scenes depict critical moments, including the Civil War, the passage of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments, and the 100-year struggle for women’s right to vote, culminating in the 19th Amendment.

In May, the League of Women Voters of Fresno unveiled a mural in downtown Fresno. The colorful painting by well-known artist Will Portis celebrates voting rights and the struggles to preserve and expand these rights throughout America’s 250-year history. The mural tells the story of how voting evolved from a privilege reserved for white male property owners to an exercise in Democracy for all people. It includes critical moments in our nation’s voting history from the Civil War and the passage of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the 100-year struggle for women’s right to vote, culminating in the 19th Amendment.


The mural stands in contrast to a chaotic period in American history marked by political division and challenges to the nation’s constitutional and electoral norms. This time underscores the importance of organizations like the League.


A swarm of potential voters crowded around registration tables at Courthouse Park to ensure there was enough time to qualify to cast a ballot. Over 40,000 were expected to participate. The 1920 Presidential election was the first election in American history where women were allowed the right to vote at the federal level. Pop Laval Collection – June 26, 1920. Photo courtesy of the Fresno City & County Historical Society and the Pop Laval Collection.  All rights reserved.
A swarm of potential voters crowded around registration tables at Courthouse Park to ensure there was enough time to qualify to cast a ballot. Over 40,000 were expected to participate. The 1920 Presidential election was the first election in American history where women were allowed the right to vote at the federal level. Pop Laval Collection – June 26, 1920. Photo courtesy of the Fresno City & County Historical Society and the Pop Laval Collection.  All rights reserved.

Founded in 1920 by leaders of the women’s suffrage movement, the League of Women Voters is a grassroots civic organization with a single goal: to make democracy work for everyone. They do this by remaining:

●      Nonpartisan, never endorsing candidates or parties

●      Issue-Focused, advocating for issues only after extensive research and member consensus

●      Inclusive, acknowledging past exclusion and working toward equity


Members of the League host forums, register voters, clarify complex ballots, study local issues and defend the principles that allow democracy to endure.


“At all levels of the League--national, state and federal--we are more committed than ever to educating voters and monitoring elections to counter the mis- and disinformation that can discourage voting,” said Kay Bertken, co-president of Fresno’s LWV. “People have to know that their voices will and do matter.”


As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, the League reminds us that democracy, while strong and just, can also be fragile. It requires participation, openness and a desire to hear and understand those whose views are different from our own.


To learn more about the local League of Women Voters chapter or to participate, visit their website.


Many Fresno women attended a luncheon given at the Hotel Fresno as the nascent Leagues of Women Voter’s began to take chape. Speakers were particularly focused on the need for suffrage. About 145 women were present. One impassioned speech declared, “Politicians say that women cannot stick together. They say that the women of the west do not care whether or not the eastern women ever get the vote. They say that women will not forego their party affiliations in order that all women this country may enjoy the privileges which they. as citizens or a progressive western state, enjoy. Are the politicians right? That is a question which women of Fresno must help.” Pop Laval Collection – September 26, 1916. Photo courtesy of the Fresno City & County Historical Society and the Pop Laval Collection.  All rights reserved.
Many Fresno women attended a luncheon given at the Hotel Fresno as the nascent Leagues of Women Voter’s began to take chape. Speakers were particularly focused on the need for suffrage. About 145 women were present. One impassioned speech declared, “Politicians say that women cannot stick together. They say that the women of the west do not care whether or not the eastern women ever get the vote. They say that women will not forego their party affiliations in order that all women this country may enjoy the privileges which they. as citizens or a progressive western state, enjoy. Are the politicians right? That is a question which women of Fresno must help.” Pop Laval Collection – September 26, 1916. Photo courtesy of the Fresno City & County Historical Society and the Pop Laval Collection.  All rights reserved.

This story is part of the Central Valley Community Foundation’s “Sixty Stories That Shaped Us” initiative to help mark 60 years since our founding. We invite you to join us in celebrating this milestone and this special place we call home. To learn more, visit centralvalleycf.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn @centralvalleycf.

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