Small Town News

State a leader in womens suffrage

---

Women across the country celebrated Women's Equality Day, on Aug. 26. It was 89 years ago on that date that women got the right to vote in America, and Washington was ahead of the crowd. Washington allowed women to vote 10 years earlier, in 1910, although it was a hard-won battle that took three tries and more than 50 years.

According to the Secretary of State's historical election timeline, in the 1800s, the liquor industry didn't want women to vote, afraid they would use the ballot box to restrict alcohol sales. Lucy Copass, community relations chair for the League of Women Voters of King County, says Washington women have been a political force since then.

"Women served in the State Legislature early on, and as mayor of Seattle, and held responsible positions - so, we were in the vanguard for women's suffrage."

"Certainly women are under represented in running for higher office. Only 74 out of the 435 Congress people are women; only 17 out of the hundred senators are women."

Copass lamented that about 65 percent of the women who are registered to vote in the state cast ballots in the 2008 presidential election, and about 30 percent voted in the recent state primary election.



Copyright 2009 The Goldendale Sentinel, Goldendale, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2009 The Goldendale Sentinel Goldendale, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

More from The Goldendale Sentinel