Extended X-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) spectra were measured for three uniaxially extended lightly sulfonated polystyrenes, each containing 6.1 mol % sulfonate groups. The X-rays were linearly polarized, which enabled changes in local structure to be monitored,parallel and perpendicular to the stretch direction. For the zinc-neutralized material, the metal-oxygen first-shell distance increased parallel to the stretch direction. Also, the Zn-O first-shell bond vectors were aligned in the stretch direction. A simple theoretical description was developed which allowed quantification of the second moment of the orientation function for these bond vectors. In the nickel-neutralized material, the metal-oxygen first-shell distance did not increase, but Ni-O bond vectors also aligned in the stretch direction. The second coordination shell of sulfur atoms seemed to be unaffected by uniaxial orientation. No, changes were found in the local coordination environment of the cadmium-neutralized material after uniaxial extension. The results in this paper are interpreted in light of other orientation studies of ionomers and the structures and composition of the unoriented material.