The League of Women Voters of Cache County was created in 1970 with a provisional status. The group had to jump through a few hoops before achieving full recognition at the national level, like developing the “Know Your County” study with a focus on the inner workings of county government.
In 1972, the Cache County league was officially recognized. Since then, they’ve focused on registering voters, candidate forums and civil education.
Kendra Penry, spokesperson for the local league, said after going dormant in the early 2000s, a group of local organizers got together in 2021 to reform the Cache County league at large. She says 2022 was a busy year for them.
“We hosted meetings on everything from water to districting to ranked-choice voting, just helping people not only understand the importance of voting, but how you vote and how Utah might be different than other places in the country,” she said.
The league met Tuesday for a legislative review of bills passed during the 2024 Legislative Session that address a range of topics like children and family, water issues and bills that directly affect Cache County.
Penry said the league is a nonpartisan organization, and while the state league puts out research and policy recommendations, the Cache County league focuses primarily on education and engaging voters.
“As an organization, we want people to feel engaged, we want people to feel empowered to vote. And it is more important that you do vote, no matter how the result is,” she said.
Moving forward, Penry said the Cache County league is planning on continuing their candidate forum meetings where constituents can meet candidates and find out their policy positions. They’re also considering educational meetings to help people engage meaningfully.
“Yes, you can join a board, you can join a commission. But if you don't feel comfortable speaking up in the room, there's no point in being on that board or commission. How do I be assertive in the room, when it's my turn to speak and feel comfortable in those roles that maybe I haven't played before," she said.
You can find more information about the League of Women Voters of Utah hereand you can find the Cache County League at Large here.
