About

America Votes works across the country with over 300 state and national partner organizations to advance progressive policies, expand access to the ballot, coordinate issue advocacy and election campaigns, and protect every American's right to vote.

America Votes has built a permanent advocacy and campaign infrastructure that provides coordination, data and targeting services to progressive organizations; pursues electoral reforms that expand voting rights across the country; advances progressive policies through state and local ballot initiatives; and works to ensure fair state redistricting processes that advance progressive policies and protect voting rights.

This infrastructure we have created is a tremendous asset as we focus on the 2010 elections, especially gubernatorial and legislative races that will be crucial during the redistricting process. These elections will determine the political landscape for the next decade.

Issue Advocacy Support

America Votes provides data and targeting services to partners' advocacy campaigns and issue outreach. This may include testing, evaluation, research and modeling on progressive issues. America Votes also provides training on direct and grassroots lobbying.

America Votes works with our partners to make the tools applicable to advocacy efforts on important issues like health care reform, environmental protection, and marriage equality.

Election Administration

America Votes is developing unified state election reform agendas that address state election law and election administration challenges.

We provide election administration and reform support in many states. America Votes is directly communicating with state officials to enact or ensure that election administration procedures do not prejudice voters. We track and lobbying for election reform legislation that expands a voter access, for example same day registration and vote by mail. America Votes' work includes legislative tracking and reform of campaign finance regulation including disclaimer and disclosure requirements in reaction to the Citizens United decision.

Our state coalitions have already achieved success in advancing positive election reforms and defeating conservative assaults on voting rights during the 2009 legislative sessions:

Colorado

The legislature has passed several reform priorities prioritized by our partners, including online voter registration and changes to Vote-By-Mail to allow ballots to be dropped-off at polling places.

Florida

Our partners and progressive leaders played a large role in defeating an extremely harmful conservative bill in the Senate. The Right's election bill had been cited as the "worst election bill in 100 years." It covered everything from the purging of voter names from the rolls, voter registration, third-party registration drives, interviewing voters outside of polling places, the re-creation of leadership funds by the Senate President and House Speaker and gives sitting lawmakers more control over the state party.

New Mexico

Progressive coalitions passed Election Day Registration in the state house and defeated an assault on the free speech rights of non-profit organizations to communicate on legislative issues.

Missouri

The state table launched numerous efforts (including an online organizing hub - www.mofairelections.org) to stop a right-wing Photo ID bill and advance a potential positive election reform ballot initiative.

Ballot Initiatives

America Votes plays a leading role in many key ballot initiative states, leading the discussion around research-based strategy on proactive progressive ballot initiatives that will drive turnout and the message frame of the election. America Votes also tracks ballot initiatives that are being proposed by conservative or non-coordinated progressive proponents, convenes groups that are doing ballot initiative work and provides targeting and provides targeting and coordination for this work.

Elections

America Votes' infrastructure is a tremendous asset as we focus on the 2010 elections that will determine the political landscape for the next decade. This state-based network will be especially vital in gubernatorial and legislative races which will be key in redistricting.

America Votes leads coordination and accountability among partners that benefit the entire progressive movement. We provide direct services to our partners to ensure their electoral programs meet strategic objectives efficiently and effectively. Our coalition shares innovative strategies and resources to maximize impact and ensure that progressive voter mobilization campaigns build lasting capacity.