Voter Participation Program

Our democracy works best when all Americans have an opportunity to participate. But, as we’ve documented, millions of Americans are not registered to vote. They are disproportionately people of color, low-income people and young people. That means candidates are elected and issues are decided with some constituencies having more influence than others. Project Vote’s civic engagement work concentrates on the core of American society and takes concrete steps towards building a democracy that works for all our citizens.

Project Vote’s work includes developing models, training community leaders, and providing advice and guidance to communities all over the country in order to engage citizens in issues that directly affect their communities. Our program encourages low- and moderate-income families to stand up and be counted by helping them register to vote, educating them on the issues, and encouraging them to vote.

Project Vote’s 2008 Program

Our 2008 Voter Participation Program will bring new voters into the electoral process, make the electorate more representative of the population and help make government represent the interests of all Americans, not just some.

2008 Program Highlights:

Help 1.2 million Americans from minority and low-income communities register to vote
Reach 2.8 new and occasional voters to Get Out The Vote
Work in 26 states
Reach high school students and young people through Project Youth Vote
Reach 275,000 New American Voters primarily in the Southwest

2008 Work Plan

Work with field partners already deeply rooted in low- and moderate-income and minority communities to implement the voter participation program, staffed by people from the communities we serve
Turn out new and occasional voters using email, text messaging, phones, mail, and in-person contacts
Train hundreds of precinct captains to register and mobilize their families, friends, and neighbors

2007-2008 Voter Registration Program Accomplishments So Far:

Started voter registration in every one of the 64 metro areas and 26 states where we plan to work.
We have collected 200,000 applications so far and we are poised for a dramatic expansion of capacity as we implement the largest voter

registration drive in United States’ history.
Implemented new technology to track voters from the day they register and
1. Follow up with election boards to make sure registrations are handled properly
2. Engage new voters with targeted messages

A Track Record of Success

Since 1982 Project Vote has helped over 4.5 million people register to vote.

2004

Helped register 1,131,768 voters in 26 states
Contacted 2.3 million voters with a Get Out The Vote message
Increased turnout an average of 24% in our selected precincts

2006

Helped register 547,000 voters in 20 states
Set a record for most registrations collected in a mid-term election cycle

Contribute

Our 2008 Voter Participation program is poised to be the largest non-partisan voter registration and voter turnout program in US history. With your support we can make this record-setting program a reality.

Fully tax-deductible contributions of $50, $100, $200, $500, $1000, or whatever you can afford can be made by clicking this link.

Or you can send a check to:

PROJECT VOTE

Attn: Karyn Gillette, Development Director

739 8^th St. SE, Suite 202

Washington, DC 20003

For more information on our Voter Participation Program, to schedule a training seminar, or to license our materials, please contact Amy Busefink at vrnat@projectvote.org.

Voter Participation Program

Additional Project Vote Resources