Traditionally less publicized, state and local elections often see turnout rates much lower and less representative of a given community when compared to midterm and presidential elections. However, this is not to say these elections are any less important. From city councils to school boards, local elections directly affect all aspects of our daily lives and are responsible for deciding how our local community will tackle key issues such as housing, transportation, health, and public safety. 

It is for these reasons that we as nonprofits must actively work this local election year to mobilize voters and distill the importance of being a local voter. By engaging in nonpartisan voter engagement we can utilize our position as trusted messengers in our communities and reach underserved populations that campaigns and candidates often miss. 

As a 501(c)(3), it is perfectly acceptable (and legal) for your organization to promote voter engagement and discuss elections, however, you MUST only do so on a nonpartisan basis. If your organization is looking for guidance on what you can (and can’t) say when talking to voters you’re in the right place! We have put together a series of frequently asked questions to help guide your organization on how to remain nonpartisan while engaging staff, clients, and community members in elections. 

What is OK to talk about on a nonpartisan basis? 

A great place to begin would be to inform your service users about the voting process. This could include promoting key voter registration dates and deadlines, how to request a mail ballot, early voting opportunities, and where to vote. 

Have a state or local race coming up in the next few months? Now is the perfect time to start uplifting relevant information about the election, and in doing so, help ensure the community you serve is #VoteReady. Be sure to check your state’s chief election division (usually the Secretary of State’s office) or county elections office for accurate information.

What should I do if a voter asks who I support or who they should vote for in a local race? 

As trusted members of the community, it is possible voters may look to your nonprofit for guidance when talking about upcoming elections. If they ask you who you are supporting or who they should vote for, you should remind them that as a nonprofit employee you must remain nonpartisan. Instead, you may:

• Encourage that person to talk to a friend or family member they trust and share values with 
• Direct the person to a sample ballot or nonpartisan voter guide if available 
• Point them to online tools that let voters know what’s on their ballot. Resources include vote411.org or Nonprofit VOTE’s Voting In Your State: 50 State Guide. Alternatively, you may google “What’s on (my state) ballot?

Is there anything I can say about specific candidates? 

When talking to voters about candidates running for a certain seat, you should stick to the facts. This includes which party they are affiliated with, whether they are an incumbent or challenger, and where they live. Remember, under no circumstances should you state your personal preference.

If I am asked about the difference between political parties, what should I say?

You should treat talking about political parties as you would when discussing candidates, and instead encourage the hopeful voters in your community to speak with a friend or go to the political party’s official websites.

What if I’m asked about a ballot measure? 

The IRS clearly states that “501(c)(3) organizations may take positions on public policy issues, including issues that divide candidates in an election for public office.” This could include everything from normal lobbying and public education activities to correcting the record when a candidate misrepresents facts related to your issues. Because of this, you may discuss the pros and cons of a ballot measure unless it is your organization’s policy not to. 

Can I support candidates in my personal time? 

You may support candidates in your personal time, however, while “on the clock” working for your nonprofit you must not express any personal opinions you may have related to any candidate, upcoming election, or its outcome. 

Can I use social media to post or share information about the candidates? 

If you are posting from your organization’s social media accounts, you must ensure your feed remains nonpartisan. You are free to express your opinions when using your personal accounts, however, nonprofit CEOs or Executive Directors who personify their organization may wish to be more careful.

What about talking to other staff about the elections?

It’s normal to exchange views on an upcoming election with other staff during work breaks. However, you should not conduct political activities during work hours with staff. Such activities could include handing out literature or signing up other staff to support a candidate. 

What are some permissible voter engagement activities?

As a 501(c)(3), there are a number of activities your organization can do on a nonpartisan basis to promote voter and civic engagement as part of its charitable and educational mission. Such activities could include: promoting voter registration, educating voters on the voting process, distributing sample ballots or nonpartisan voter guides, and encouraging voters on election day to get out and vote. For a complete list of acceptable activities, see our “Staying Nonpartisan: Permissible Election Activities Checklist” here.

The post What Nonprofits Can Say About Local Elections appeared first on Nonprofit Vote.

On this day 57 years ago, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. This historic piece of legislation is often cited as changing the scope of American democracy, doing so to ensure the voices of all, regardless of race, faith, gender, or disability were heard throughout the electoral process. Today, we honor the hard work and sacrifice of the men and women who made this possible. 

Since the birth of this country, the ideals of freedom and representation have been what sets the democratic system in the United States apart from the rest of the world. The notion of one  person/one vote, a key feature of a representative democracy, is what gives citizens access to the inner-workings of government. Yet, while the right to vote was included in the United States Constitution, it remained a luxury afforded to a very exclusive few. The first election held in 1789 for example, consisted only of wealthy white men casting their vote, thus excluding around 94% of the population.

The history of voting rights in the United States unfortunately does not follow a linear path, with groups achieving rights only for them to be prevented from expressing them in other ways. The aftermath of the Civil War saw the abolition of slavery under the 13th Amendment and additionally brought with it the 14th and 15th Amendments. These Amendments were responsible for granting citizenship to all born and naturalized within the U.S and provided equal protections under the law, including the right to vote. However, up until 1965, individual states were allowed to decide what made their residents eligible to express this right at their own discretion. 

While voter disenfranchisement was prevalent across the nation as a whole, many Southern states passed particularly restrictive legislation that at face value appeared “color blind.” Yet, by design were nothing more than mere attempts to suppress African-American civic engagement. Captured within Jim Crow Laws, it was commonplace for those attempting to register to vote to be bombarded with questions and tasks before even receiving an application. Hopeful registrants could expect to undergo literacy tests, be asked to provide a reference of “good character,” supply proof of property ownership, or generally  be met with hostility and intimidation. 

Brought on through tireless civil rights protest, the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965 following the series of marches from Selma to Montgomery and the events of Bloody Sunday, where Congressman John Lewis, among dozens of others, were bloodied by police dispatched to break up their peaceful demonstration. In the immediate aftermath of this historic piece of legislation, tactics of voter suppression were subsequently removed and by the end of 1965, 250,000 new African-American citizens were registered to vote. In the state of Mississippi alone, African-American voter registration rates increased from 6.7% in 1965 to 59.8% in the two years following. Statistics similar to this were echoed all across the South as many African-American voters registered and cast their ballots, free from restrictions for the first time.

On this day of celebration, let us take a moment to honor the legacy of the many courageous men and women who, in the face of injustice, worked tirelessly to make political participation accessible for all. Yet 57 years on, there is still much work to be done. We as nonprofits must ensure the communities we serve have equal access to the polls and aren’t discouraged, disenfranchised or inhibited by an onerous registration process, restrictive voter ID laws, or partisan gerrymandering. We must also work to educate voters on what their rights are as citizens, and ensure there is proper infrastructure in place to get people registered and to the polls. Therefore, join us as we celebrate voting rights, and work to turn these rights into action!

The post Upholding the 57 Year Legacy of the Voting Rights Act as a Nonprofit appeared first on Nonprofit Vote.

If you’re a nonprofit doing voter engagement work, you already know that voting laws are always shifting. Whether it’s recent adoptions of same day voter registrations, tighter voter ID laws or the expansion (or subtraction) of vote by mail options — the landscape is always changing and sometimes it can be hard to keep your feet beneath you.

2022 is no different. Whether you work in Texas or not, you’ve probably heard about a new law that has been making headlines. As reported by KUT 5 (Austin’s NPR station) Senate Bill 1, which went into effect last month, dictates that “voters will now have to provide — on both their vote-by-mail application and the actual ballot — their driver’s license number or Social Security number.” In the wake of the new law, there are reports of “hundreds” of ballot applications have been rejected in populous counties like Harris, Travis and Bexar.

To get a better sense of what this law feels like on the ground and how local nonprofits are reacting and preparing, we talked with members of the League of Women Voters and MOVE Texas.

Q: When it comes to the new SB1 law, we’re seeing headlines saying hundreds of vote by mail applications are being rejected in populous counties like Harris, Travis, and Bexar. What does your organization find to be the most challenging part of the new law?

A: “We’re seeing these applications rejected en mass for simple mistakes like voters using an older version of the application or not correctly filling out the new portion. Hundreds of applications for vote by mail have been rejected as a result so far,” says Charlie Bonner, the Communications Director at MOVE Texas.

Q: How are you letting your clients know about the recent changes and do you yet have a sense of what is and what isn’t working?

A: Dorothy Marchand, Vice President Voter Engagement at LWV Texas, says: “We provide webinars, videos, pamphlets, and graphics to educate folks on the new law. We provide voter education on our nonpartisan Voter Guides available in print at libraries across Texas, as a pdf on our website LWVTexas.org and online at VOTE411.org. We also are working with other organizations to increase our reach. The goal of our voter education is to take the complicated election law and make it simple.“

“We are looking into testing messaging ahead of the general election on how voters should navigate changes and some defiance messaging about voter suppression being a mobilizing issue,” says Bonner.

Q: How does your organization say abreast of pending changes in voting laws?

A: Bonner explains, “We work closely with our legal partners at the Texas Civil Rights Project and the ACLU whose lawyers review changes in the law and help movement groups navigate those changes.” “The LWV takes an active role in supporting our voting rights positions during the legislative sessions,” says Chimene. “Our volunteers follow the bills, provide testimony, work with representatives, and share Action Alerts with supports. We provide insight to legislators into the impact of voting and election legislation of voters.”

Learn more about MOVE Texas and the League of Women Voters Texas.

Working in Texas and want to stay connected to official sources on voting laws and regulations — visit our “Voting in Your State” page.

See how your organization can better support voters who want to vote by mail.

The post On the Ground: MOVE Texas and League of Women Voters appeared first on Nonprofit Vote.

We’re no different. 

While the 2020 election was more than a year ago, in 2021 we got to dig through the aftermath of the record-breaking election and that’s where we found 10 incredible facts that should serve as points of inspiration for any organization in 2022.  So whether you are looking to get started doing voter engagement in the new year or want to improve your registration game, keep these facts pinned to your monitor and know that you CAN make a difference and ensure that America keeps its promise of a truly representative democracy.

#10

If your organization is doing GOTV work, make sure you are aware of voting trends and understand that in-person voting (at least in 2020) was not the most popular way people had their voice heard at the ballot. Stay updated on the vote-by-mail laws and options in your state.

#9

Looking to engage voters from low-income communities? Sure, it may be easier to do digital outreach but in-person outreach may prove MUCH more effective.

#8

While it’s true that many state registration deadlines are often weeks ahead of the election, an increasing number of states allow for same-day registration. Is your state one of them? Stay current on how and when your community can get #VoteReady.

#7

In our interview with Jack Rosen at the National Disability Rights Network, we learned that “out of the 234 million eligible voters in 2020, about 38.3 million were people with disabilities.” That’s a HUGE voting block. Is YOUR organization ready to engage them in 2022?

#6

When your nonprofit commits to doing robust, nonpartisan voter engagement work you are two times MORE likely to reach voters of color.

#5

We ranked all the states by voter turnout and found a crucial similarity: 8 of the top 10 states had EITHER vote by mail, same day registration policies or BOTH.

#4

Just released this month, Independent Sector published a poll showing that 71% of voters “think it is a good idea for nonprofits to offer voter support services, like voter registration and election day transportation.”

#3

Need more inspiration to help young people get out to the polls? We learned that young voters in 2020 who were engaged by nonprofits were 5 percentage points MORE likely to vote than those NOT contacted.

#2

Like everyone else, voters want things to be convenient. And while they may not have the immediate say-so on their state’s rules, when they do have options, the majority of voters will choose the method most convenient even over concerns like COVID.

#1

Nonprofits CAN close historical voting gaps. Low-propensity Black voters engaged by nonprofits saw an 11 percentage point boost in voter turnout, closing a gap between low-propensity Black and White voters.

The post Our Top 10 Facts to Inspire Your 2022 Work appeared first on Nonprofit Vote.

With Election Day in the rearview mirror, it’s easy to assume we all have time to focus on things like gifts and Hallmark holiday specials while we put that whole “democracy” thing on the back burner until late next summer, right?

If you work in a nonprofit — especially one that serves low-income communities, communities of color or new citizens — your efforts to ensure that those underrepresented in our democracy have a say are never on the back burner. The work to sustain democracy is not seasonal, it is year-round and does not take breaks. 

“It’s hard to overstate the important role that nonprofits play in fostering an inclusive democracy,” says Brian Miller, executive director of Nonprofit VOTE. “Whether it’s employing the natural ability of nonprofits to reach underrepresented communities or simply getting out the vote for the election of the local school board, the deeply rooted community presence of America’s nonprofits can light the fire of voter engagement from state to state.”

Is [voter] dropoff new? Of course not. But we don’t find it acceptable to write off one out of every four election cycles as a guaranteed dud.

It’s that natural ability to close registration gaps that makes nonprofits so essential to building the infrastructure of grassroots democracy at the local level. It’s no secret that voters engaged by nonprofits are more likely to hit the polls. What’s more important is that the phenomenon is magnified for historically underrepresented groups. Black, Hispanic, and Asian American and Pacific Islander voters who were engaged by nonprofits were 3, 5, and 6 percentage points more likely to vote than comparable voters not contacted by nonprofits. The proof is in the pudding. 

It’s this nonprofit role in boosting turnout that we need to combat “off year” election voter apathy that reared its ugly head once again in 2021. While there was no shortage of ink spilled about the political horserace implications of this year’s state and local races, what garnered far less fanfare was the jaw-dropping plunge in voter participation all across the country. Even accounting for the post-[residential-election participation drop off that often plagues off-years, 2021’s sharp turnout declines, from Philadelphia to New Mexico’s Doña Ana County and from Colorado to New Jersey and its hotly contested gubernatorial race. were a dire warning of the risks of civic complacency.

Is this dropoff new? Of course not. But we don’t find it acceptable to write off one out of every four election cycles as a guaranteed dud. After a 2020 that saw seismic shifts in voter registration, rates of early and absentee voting, and civic activism, it can no longer be acceptable to see participation drops as high as 49 percent as business as usual for democracy in America. 

What’s needed is “democracy maintenance:” the day-to-day upkeep of the basic component parts of a healthy democracy. In the same way that regular medical checkups help to avert larger problems, consistent and purposeful community voter engagement makes for a healthier body politic no matter the offices on the ballot in a given election year.

Nonprofits by their very nature are perfectly suited for year-round democracy maintenance, and it can take a virtually limitless number of forms. Here are just a few things your nonprofit can be doing right now:

• Engage leaders and candidates on your issues. Well-organized groups have a natural advantage at getting the ear of changemakers. Leverage your nonprofit’s space in the community to engage elected officials and candidates alike on the issues that matter to the populations you serve. Invite candidates to your organization and shine the light on your constituents as the human faces of policy decisions. 
• Make the issues real. State and local politics impact our day-to-day lives far more immediately than the daily machinations in Washington — but you’d never know it by our collective hyper-focus on the big national races. Nonprofits speak the language of the communities and in doing so can serve as trusted translators of the direct connections between the workings of government and the needs of constituencies. 
• Make your community voting experts: Turn your nonprofit into a centralized hub for all things voting. Devote your resources to demystifying the often hard-to-find information on the whens (election and primary dates), hows (early and absentee voting options), and wheres (polling places and ballot dropoff sites) of voting in your neck of the woods.

And that’s just the beginning! With roughly four months until the first handful of states head to the polls for their respective primaries and the 2022 midterms soon to follow, there’s no time like now for nonprofits to start mapping out the next 360-odd days of democracy maintenance and engaging their communities to ensure they are #VoteReady for the next election. And signing up for our Nonprofit VOTE newsletter is a great first step of the planning process.

So, by all means, enjoy your family gatherings, TV specials and any other year-end festivities that spark the joy you’ve absolutely earned. But just remember: Democracy doesn’t take a holiday just because you do.

The post Why the Election is Never Over for Nonprofits appeared first on Nonprofit Vote.

• The Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlawed racial discrimination in voting, became law in August.
• The 19th Amendment, which gave most women the right to vote, became law in August.
• The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the landmark protest which prefaced the Voting Rights Act, happened in August.

So this month, we inaugurate and celebrate #VoterHistoryMonth as we spend time each week commemorating the grassroots efforts and the everyday people and that worked tirelessly to ensure our country lived up to its promise of freedom for everyone (many of which you can see in our weekly profiles if you follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram). You’ll also see blogs and commentary from partners like YWCA, Andrew Goodman Foundation and more.

But this isn’t just a history lesson. This month, we’re equipping you with the best resources — webinars, fact sheets, checklists, etc. — so you and your organization are properly prepared to continue the good and necessary work that this month has brought by ensuring the communities you serve are VoteReady!

Keep your eye on the #VoterHistoryMonth hashtag to see the latest and share your own thoughts, ideas and stories!

The post Celebrate Voter History Month! appeared first on Nonprofit Vote.

It’s safe to say that at the height of the 2020 pandemic, as the world adjusted to new normals, social distancing, and Zoom calls, traditional voter engagement had to evolve. And while many of us are eager to put the last year behind us, there are still valuable lessons to learn. So we sat with Jack Rosen, National Disability Rights Network Voter Engagement Specialist, to talk about the biggest lesson his organization learned.

Q: When it comes to voter registration work, what lessons did NDRN learn in 2020 in reaching their communities that others could learn from in 2021?

A: When it comes to accessibility, the pandemic showed us that a better world is possible. For all the bad of the pandemic, and there was a lot of bad, we did see that the voting process, from registration to casting your ballot, can be wildly more accessible than it had been in the past. 

We saw numerous states make their absentee ballot applications screen reader accessible for the first time, which meant that voters who are blind or have low vision were able to apply for their ballot privately and independently just like everyone else. We saw the adoption of drop boxes and mobile voting centers — something, that when done right, can be a boon to many Americans with disabilities who lack easy access to transportation or who have polling places that unfortunately are not fully ADA compliant. We saw candidates releasing videos with American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, something that years ago was virtually unheard of. So, the biggest lesson learned for us was in many senses that what we’ve been asking for, what we’ve been demanding, accessibility is not only possible but achievable. So I’d tell other groups, make sure the content you’re putting out to encourage voting is accessible too. Use tools like WAVE to make sure it is  

Q: What is something crucial but widely unknown or misunderstood about the community you serve that those looking to engage with should know?

A: We are the biggest voting bloc you’ve not heard about! 20% of voters either have a disability or live in a household with someone who does. Out of the 234 million eligible voters in 2020, about 38.3 million were people with disabilities.  That’s a larger potential bloc than both the Latino and African-American communities (though, of course, there is significant overlap.) If a candidate didn’t have an agenda outlining what they’d do for African Americans or Latinos, we’d rightfully say that they aren’t a serious candidate and are ignoring vast swaths of voters. But when candidates or organizations that engage voters don’t have positions on disability issues, it’s treated as par for the course. And it’s absurd when you consider that between the state and federal government, billions of dollars are spent on disability services every year. So when they don’t have a disability platform, not only are they ignoring our voters, but they demonstrate a fundamental ignorance about the government they seek to shape. Our issues are seen as niche when the truth is they are common and one way or another will impact most Americans at some point in their lives.

That is why it is so important to educate not just voters, but politicians. And it is why NDRN is proud to partner with American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE), National Federation of the Blind (NFB), and some great researchers from Rutgers University to put together a disability voting research summit. The event is going to be live-streamed on September 14 and will be an opportunity to learn all about the disability community, the challenges we face as voters, and what issues are important to us. While we don’t have any registration links yet, the event will be streamed live and open to the public. You can follow us on Twitter @NDRNAdvocates for updates. 

Q: Are there topics, ballot measures, etc. in 2021 or 2022 that the community you serve either needs to know about or is charged to vote on?

A: I think to bring things back to my earlier point about not taking a step back, that is perhaps what my community is most energized about in 2021. Let me be clear: voting was more accessible in 2020 than it ever had been before for folks with disabilities. It helped increase turnout and lower the rate of reported problems when casting a ballot. But in the face of this unparalleled success, legislatures in numerous states are actively trying to make it harder to vote.

The truth is, these bills are voter suppression by a thousand speed bumps. If the government puts a speed bump on the road you take to work you might think “oh this will improve safety.” If they put two or three you might think “this is inconvenient, but I guess it is keeping everyone safe on the road.” But by the time they’ve put up a dozen you have to ask yourself “do they not want me on this road?” And that is what these bills do. They make it harder and harder for folks, particularly people of color and those with disabilities, to vote to the point where they want folks to give up on trying.

But our community isn’t giving up. We are going to keep contacting our legislators to stand against bad bills that take away our rights. We are going to keep fighting to protect the accessibility gains that have been made. And no matter what roadblocks they try to put up, we are going to keep voting.

The post Why 2020 Was a Banner Year for Voters with Disabilities appeared first on Nonprofit Vote.

On July 1, 1971, the 26th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified. This amendment was responsible for lowering the voting age down from 21 and thus entrusted 18-year-olds the right to vote in all U.S elections. Spearheaded by youth activists through much of the early 20th century, the passage of the 26th Amendment to this day remains a true testament to the power of young people and their ongoing commitment to our democracy. On this milestone anniversary let us celebrate the role young voters play in our electorate and as nonprofits, continue to empower their voices through our ongoing efforts of voter engagement.

Despite its relatively recent history, the fight to lower the voting age to 18 began during the 1940s, and later intensified during the 1960s. In 1942, at the height of World War II, Congress approved measures to lower the minimum draft age from 21 to 18, and by the war’s end 10 million men had been inducted into service. From this, the slogan synonymous with the movement “Old enough to fight, old enough to vote” was born.

In the decades that followed, the fight to lower the voting age to 18 became a permanent fixture of the American political sphere. The movement continued to grow in popularity among youth advocates and legislators alike. Yet it would not be until the mid-1960s, with the American public becoming disillusioned with the ongoing war in Vietnam and the system in place that required young men to fight but prohibited them the right to vote, that the movement to lower the voting age would begin to gain widespread traction. In 1970, an amendment to the 1965 Voting Rights Act including a clause to lower the voting age nationally in all federal, state, and local elections, was signed by President Richard Nixon. However, this was later struck down in the 1970 Supreme Court case Oregon v. Mitchell, with the ruling declaring states could maintain 21 as the voting age in state and local elections but were required to establish separate voter rolls so that voters between 18 and 21-years old could vote in federal elections. Motivated by the confusion this ruling would cause, Congress swiftly proposed the 26th Amendment, which went into full effect three months later having been ratified by the necessary 38 states.

The 1972 Presidential Election saw a record 55.4% of young voters, aged between 18-29 turnout to cast their ballots, some for the first time. However, in the subsequent years that followed, turnout and overall rates of engagement among this same group began to decline, with the youth vote in 1996 for example reaching an all-time low of 37%. Yet, while it is often said that young people are apathetic to our political system, this is simply not the case. From the 1960s to the present day, young people have consistently proven themselves to be the driving force behind societal change, and have been instrumental in advocating for social, economic, and racial justice. From the March on Washington of 1963 through to the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, youth activism has and continues to span multiple generations.

The 2020 Election showed us that young people are not only committed to turning out to vote in record numbers (2020 turnout rate of young voters aged 18-29 reached 55%), but that they understand the importance of government and believe their generation has the power to create lasting change (CIRCLE). In 2021 and beyond, it is our duty as nonprofits to continue to educate and engage the young voters in the communities we serve and ensure their active participation. Research conducted in our 2018 Engaging New Voters report found voters contacted by nonprofits were TWICE as likely to be young, a person of color, and female – these same voters were 11% points MORE likely to vote than those NOT contacted by nonprofits. Therefore as we celebrate the lasting legacy of the 26th Amendment and what it has meant in the pursuit of achieving a more representative democracy, we invite you to join us in our efforts to ensure the turnout rate among this group continues to climb by committing to robust, nonpartisan voter engagement in the communities you serve!

The post The 26th Amendment: Celebrating the Power of the Youth Vote 50 years on appeared first on Nonprofit Vote.

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