Webinar Recap: Running a Voter Registration Drive at Your Nonprofit . August 30, 2019

Thanks to all who were able to attend our August 29 webinar “Running Voter Registration Drive at Your Nonprofit.”   Special thanks to Dr. Mittie Davie Jones from Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs who shared her knowledge on running effective voter registration drives.WEBINAR MATERIALS:Please feel free to download the PowerPoint and watch the webinar on Nonprofit VOTE’s YouTube channel.   RSVP for read more

Webinar Recap: Effectively Engaging Candidates . August 28, 2019

Thanks to all who were able to attend our August 14 webinar “Effectively Engaging Candidates.”   Special thanks to Ronnie Pawelko Elections Counsel for Alliance for Justice who shared her knowledge on the best ways to engage with candidates.WEBINAR MATERIALS:Please feel free to download the PowerPoint and watch the webinar on Nonprofit VOTE’s YouTube channel. Additional resources: Candidate Engagement Toolkit RSVP for our September read more

Webinar Recap: Staying Nonpartisan — Rules for 501(c)(3) Organizations . August 7, 2019

Thanks to all who were able to attend our July 31 webinar “Staying Nonpartisan: Rules for 501(c)(3) Organizations.”   Special thanks to David Levitt of Adler & Colvin for walking us through the Do’s and Don’ts of nonprofit voter engagement activity.WEBINAR MATERIALS:Please feel free to download the PowerPoint and watch the webinar on Nonprofit VOTE’s YouTube channel. Additional resources: Checklist of permissible election activities What read more

Challenging At-Large Voting in Lowell: Resources & Fact Sheets . July 26, 2019

Challenging At-Large Voting in Lowell, Massachusetts: Resources & Fact Sheets On May 17th, Asian-American and Latino voters in Lowell, Massachusetts filed a lawsuit against the city for its use of At-Large Voting to elect its City Council and School Committee. The complaint filed in Federal District court said the at-large system, where all nine city read more

Webinar Recap: Engaging New Voters — Planning Best Practices . June 26, 2019

Thanks to all who were able to attend our June 19 webinar “Engaging New Voters: Planning and Best Practices.” Special thanks to Victor Leandry, Executive Director of El Centro of El Centro de Servicios Sociales, Inc.; Rachel Contos, Community Liason at the Alliance to End Homlessness; and Caroline Mak, Research Coordinator at Nonprofit VOTE. WEBINAR MATERIALS: Please feel free read more

Mission Possible: Habitat for Humanity’s New House Rules . June 25, 2019

Nonprofit VOTE and Independent Sector are partnering to bring you a new blog series, Mission Possible. This series will explore the different ways a variety of nonprofits are embedding voter engagement into their work. We believe that even limited voter engagement can help you enhance your mission and drive positive change for your communities and read more

Webinar Recap: Better Voter Engagement Strategies for People with Disabilities . May 28, 2019

Thanks to all who were able to attend our May 21 webinar “Better Voter Engagement Strategies for People with Disabilities.” Special thanks to Michelle Bishop, Disability Advocacy Specialist for Voting Rights at National Disability Rights Network and Molly Broadway from Disability Rights Texas. WEBINAR MATERIALS: Please feel free to download the PowerPoint and watch the webinar on Nonprofit VOTE’s YouTube channel. Additional resources: Download read more

Mission Possible: FRAC Finds the Connection . May 22, 2019

Nonprofit VOTE and Independent Sector are partnering to bring you a new blog series, Mission Possible. This series will explore the different ways a variety of nonprofits are embedding voter engagement into their work. We believe that even limited voter engagement can help you enhance your mission and drive positive change for your communities and read more

Four Simple Strategies to Help Voters with Disabilities . May 21, 2019

This blog post was written by Sarah Blahovec, Disability Vote Organizer at National Council on Independent Living. The disability community is one of the largest groups of voters in the United States. In 2016, 16 million people with disabilities participated in the election. However, voter turnout of people with disabilities is still below the rest of read more

The Bureaucracy of Voter Registration Prevents Millions from Voting . May 5, 2019

Millions of eligible voters across the nation are unable to participate in our elections because of a problem with their voter registration or a missed deadline. The numbers change depending on the election cycle and other factors, but however you do the math, it’s clear that millions of our citizens are prevented from voting due read more

Webinar Recap: Supporting Voters in States with Voter ID Laws . April 23, 2019

Thanks to all who were able to attend our April 18 webinar “Supporting Voters in States with Voter ID Laws.” Special thanks to David Griggs, Executive Director of Vote Riders; Arekia Bennett, Executive Director at Mississippi Votes; and Don Waisanen, Associate Professor at CUNY. WEBINAR MATERIALS: Please feel free to download the PowerPoint and watch the webinar on Nonprofit VOTE’s YouTube read more

Mission Possible: National Urban League Stays on Target .

Nonprofit VOTE and Independent Sector are partnering to bring you a new blog series, Mission Possible. This series will explore the different ways a variety of nonprofits are embedding voter engagement into their work. We believe that even limited voter engagement can help you enhance your mission and drive positive change for your communities and read more

What Helping Citizens with Voter ID Should Look Like . April 16, 2019

This post was written in collaboration with the staff at Spread the Vote. Simply put, a voter ID law is any regulation requiring that a voter furnish proof of identity in order to cast a ballot in an election. As of 2016, ​over 30 states have voter ID laws in place.​ On the surface, these read more

Webinar Recap: America Goes to the Polls 2018 . April 15, 2019

Thanks to all who were able to attend our April 2 webinar “America Goes to the Polls.” Special thanks to Michael McDonald, Associate Professor of Political Science at University of Florida; Amber McReynolds, Executive Director at Vote at Home; and Caroline Mak, Research Coordinator at Nonprofit VOTE. WEBINAR MATERIALS: Please feel free to download the PowerPoint and watch the read more

Full 50 State 2018 Turnout Ranking and Voting Policy . April 10, 2019

Last month, Nonprofit VOTE and the U.S. Elections Project released America Goes to the Polls, our report that looks at all 50 states turnout in 2018 and the policies that impacted it. In 2018, we saw history being made as voters across the country turned out in numbers not seen in a midterm election in read more

When Women are Civically Engaged our Democracy is Stronger . March 26, 2019

This Women’s History Month blog post was written by Natalie Cone, Manager of State Advocacy and Civic Engagement at the YWCA. The organizing efforts of women in civic engagement have shaped and strengthened our democracy. From the suffragettes who fought for the passage of the 19th Amendment almost 100 years ago to Fannie Lou Hamer and read more

Mission Possible: Goodwill Gets into Voter Engagement . March 25, 2019

Nonprofit VOTE and Independent Sector are partnering to bring you a new blog series, Mission Possible. This series will explore the different ways a variety of nonprofits are embedding voter engagement into their work. We believe that even limited voter engagement can help you enhance your mission and drive positive change for your communities and read more

Webinar Recap: Getting Your Issue on the Ballot . March 20, 2019

Thanks to all who were able to attend our March 14th webinar “Ballot Measure Advocacy for Nonprofits.” Special thanks to Kellie Dupree from BISC (Ballot Initiative Strategy Center) and John Brautigam from Democracy Maine for sharing their data and insights. This year is already off to a good start and we’ve got LOTS more planned for this year! Read about our plans here. WEBINAR MATERIALS: Please read more

Webinar Recap: Planning Your Census 2020 Work . March 14, 2019

Thanks to all who were able to attend our February 21 webinar “Planning Your Census 2020 Work.” Special thanks to Anita Banerji from ForeFront and Beth Huang from Massachusetts Voter Table for sharing their data and insights. This year is already off to a good start and we’ve got LOTS more planned for this year! Read about our plans here. WEBINAR MATERIALS: Please feel free to download read more

Webinar Roundup: Fundraising for Your Census 2020 Work . February 19, 2019

Thanks to all who were able to attend our February 14 webinar “Fundraising for Your Census 2020 Work.” Special thanks to Debbie McKeon from Council of Michigan Foundations and Jay Young from Common Cause for sharing their data and insights. This year is already off to a good start and we’ve got LOTS more planned for read more

Imagining Census 2020 without Nonprofits . February 13, 2019

The year is 2020. Across the country snow is melting, spring is just around the corner, and letters from the US Census Bureau are inside every mailbox. These letters will ask each household to record basic demographic data about themselves on an online portal. Many families will follow the link and complete the questionnaire with ease and read more

Webinar Roundup: Running for Office — A Primer for Nonprofit Leadership . February 5, 2019

Thanks to all who were able to attend our January 31 webinar “Running for Office — A Primer for Nonprofit Leadership.” Special thanks to Christina Sanders from Vote Run Lead and Derek Marshall at Nation Builder for sharing their data and insights. This was our first webinar of 2019 and we’ve got LOTS more planned for this read more

Partnership Profile: National Urban League . January 29, 2019

Nonprofit VOTE has had the pleasure of working with several organizations doing voter engagement work. One of those organizations is the National Urban League, who also served as a premier partner for National Voter Registration Day. The NUL is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of read more

5 Reasons Nonprofit Leaders Should Run for Office . January 25, 2019

Encouraging people to vote is one of the most direct ways nonprofits can promote and protect democracy, but running for office is probably the boldest. As leaders and staff of charitable organizations, we often think of ourselves as people who serve the community in a less visible capacity – fundraising for programs that serve our read more

Ending the Cutoff to Register to Vote in all 50 states . January 9, 2019

Ending the Cutoff to Register to Vote in all 50 states While 19 states already have Election Day or same day Registration, where every voter can register or update their registration on Election Day or during early voting, 31 other states still cut off voter registration up to a month before the election. That could read more

First-Timers Succeed Even When They Fall Short . December 11, 2018

First-Timers Succeed Even When They Fall Short   Voter engagement work isn’t easy. From asking strangers if they are registered to vote, to organizing your first voter registration drive, there are lots of things that make this work confusing and challenging. Luckily, many of us also know that it gets better and more fun every time read more

The Question We Can Stop Asking About Nonprofits and Voting . November 30, 2018

What compels someone to vote for a specific candidate? Why do they vote for some measures but against others? Ask any professional pollster and they’ll tell you that even when all the demographic data lines up, there are still ghosts in the machine — blind turns they can’t see coming. But there is one question read more

Webinar Roundup: Understanding Who Turned Out to Vote in 2018 . November 26, 2018

Thanks to all who were able to attend our November 20 webinar “Understanding Who Turned Out to Vote in 2018.” Special thanks to Michael McDonald from the US Elections Project,  Abby Kiesa from the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) and to Eric Salcedo and Christine Chen of the Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) for read more

Announcing Our 2019 Webinar Series . November 20, 2018

Who says there can be too much of a good thing? In 2019, Nonprofit VOTE is bringing you more webinars than ever before! Long time favorites, such as Planning Ahead, Staying Nonpartisan, and Working with Candidates, will be offered alongside new topics, like supporting voters in voter ID states, getting your issues on the ballot, and fundraising read more

Midterm Turnout Hits 50-Year High . November 7, 2018

UPDATED 11/9/18 – As of 9 am Friday, the US Elections Project shows 2018 turnout at 48.5%, just shy of the 48.7% midterm turnout in 1966. If the final count exceeds the 1966 record, we would need to go back to 1914, over 100 years ago, to find a higher midterm turnout. The year was 1966. The read more

Political Reform Wins Big in the States .

By large margins voters said “YES” to sweeping reforms in how we register and vote. Amidst high youth voter turnout, ballot measures rode a wave of support to change how we do redistricting, register voters, pay for campaigns, re-engage ex-offenders, cast and count votes. Independent Redistricting Commissions Americans voted overwhelmingly to take away the power read more

How One Website Is Fighting to Give Ex-Felons Back Their Power to Vote . October 16, 2018

Cold weather makes you sick. You only use 10% of your brain. Ex-felons can’t vote. We’ve heard these all our lives and while none of them are actually true, only one of them is hurting our democracy. “When you run into people with past convictions many of them believe that they cannot vote. That’s not read more

Webinar: Nonprofits Get Out the Vote . October 12, 2018

Did you miss our October 11 Webinar, “Nonprofits Get Out the Vote: Strategies and Messaging” with Nonprofit Vote’s Partner Engagement Coordinator Lamont Harrell and Ohio Votes Coordinator Maria Bruno! Check out our recap to see how your nonprofit can help get out the vote! Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the PowerPoint and watch read more

Nonprofits Count: Census 2020 . September 27, 2018

Did you miss our September 20 Webinar, “Nonprofits Count: Preparing for Census 2020?”  We’ve got a recap with Terri Ann Lowenthal, Consultant on all things census, Sheilah P. Clay of Neighborhood Service Organization, and Stephania Ramirez of California Community Foundation! Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the PowerPoint and watch the webinar on Nonprofit read more

Webinar Roundup: Ballot Measure Advocacy for Nonprofits . August 14, 2018

Thanks to all who were able to attend our August 9 webinar “Ballot Measure Advocacy for Nonprofits.” Special thanks to Kellie Dupree from the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center and Shannon Schell of Protecting Arizona’s Families Coalition. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the PowerPoint and watch the webinar on Nonprofit VOTE’s YouTube channel. Quick Links: Here are a few read more

Webinar Roundup: Interacting With Candidates . July 25, 2018

Thanks to all who were able to attend our July 19th webinar “Interacting with Candidates: 5 Approaches for your Nonprofit” Special thanks to MassVote‘s Cheryl Clyburn Crawford for lending us her expertise. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the webinar PowerPoint or watch the webinar on Nonprofit VOTE’s YouTube channel. Quick Links: Quick Links: Here are the additional resources we mentioned during the read more

Webinar Roundup: Philanthropy’s Role in Democracy . July 12, 2018

Thanks to all who were able to attend our July 11th webinar “Philanthropy’s Role in Democracy.” Special thanks to Nonprofit VOTE’s Brian Miller, Kansas Health Foundation’s Elina Alterman, and The Fund For New Jersey’s Kiki Jamieson for lending us their expertise. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the webinar PowerPoint and watch the webinar on Nonprofit VOTE’s YouTube channel. Quick Links: read more

July 4th Reflections: Democracy and a History of Voting in The United States . July 3, 2018

Since the birth of this country, voting has been a key feature of a representational democracy meant to give the citizenry access to the inner-workings of the government. And while the right to vote was included in America’s foundational document – the United States Constitution ratified in 1789 – exactly WHO could vote was not read more

Everything You Need to Know About Ranked Choice Voting . June 22, 2018

The following is an excerpt from “The Myths, The Facts, The Future: Everything You Need to Know About Ranked Choice Voting” written by George Pillsbury as it appears on The Independent Voter Network (IVN.US).  Partisan gerrymandering. Money in politics. The Electoral College. Undue restrictions on who votes and how we vote. Every contentious election issue discussed read more

Citizenship Question Jeopardizes Accurate Census . June 20, 2018

In the coming months, Nonprofit VOTE will be building out our Nonprofits Count resource library to help nonprofits engage in and support a fair and accurate Census in 2020. Nonprofits, as we did in 2010, can help ensure the communities we serve are counted. Before we get to the counting part though, there are some read more

Webinar Roundup: Countdown to National Voter Registration Day . June 12, 2018

Thanks to all who were able to attend our June 7th webinar “Countdown to National Voter Registration Day!” Special thanks to MOVE San Antonio’s Alyssa Pope and Disability Rights New York’s Yasmine Kamel for lending us their expertise on how best to host awesome National Voter Registration Day events. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the read more

Webinar Roundup: Reaching Young Voters . May 22, 2018

Thanks to all who were able to attend our May 17th webinar “Reaching Young Voters” Special thanks to Inspire U.S.’s Hannah Mixdorf, LeadMN’s Cecilia Damian, and HeadCount’s Andy Bernstein for lending us their expertise. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the webinar PowerPoint and audio file, or watch the webinar on Nonprofit VOTE’s YouTube channel. Quick Links: Here are a few of read more

Introduction to the Foundation Toolkits . April 11, 2018

THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXCERPT FROM THE VOTER ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT FOR COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS. Click here to learn more and to download the foundation toolkits.   Foundations and nonprofits are well positioned to increase voter and civic participation within the communities they serve. They’re trusted messengers, deeply rooted in local communities and invested for the long read more

Webinar Roundup: Engaging New Voters: . April 9, 2018

Thanks to all who were able to attend our March 29th webinar “Engaging New Voters: How Nonprofits Can Close the Voter Participation Gap.” Special thanks to CRC America’s Emily Shamsid-Deen and Nonprofit VOTE’s Brian Miller for lending us their expertise. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the webinar PowerPoint and audio file, or watch the webinar on Nonprofit VOTE’s YouTube channel. Quick Links: Here are a read more

Webinar Roundup: Engaging New Voters–How Nonprofits Can Close the Voter Participation Gap . March 30, 2018

Webinar Roundup: Engaging New Voters–How Nonprofits Can Close the Voter Participation Gap Thanks to all who were able to attend our March 29th webinar “Engaging New Voters–How Nonprofits Can Close the Voter Participation Gap.” Special thanks to Emily Shamsid-Deen and Brian Miller for lending us their expertise. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the webinar PowerPoint and audio file, read more

States that allow pre-registration for 16 & 17-year olds . March 14, 2018

Since the school shooting in Parkland, Florida in February, teenagers from around the country have not only organized a large demonstration in Washington, D.C (in addition to nearly 800 more cities). and inspired a nationwide walkout on March 14, they have ignited an interest in getting young people registered to vote. However, registering people under read more

Webinar Rundown: Being Nonpartisan: 2018 Voter Engagement Dos and Don’ts for 501(c)(3) Nonprofits . March 12, 2018

Webinar Rundown: Being Nonpartisan 2018 Voter Engagement Dos and Don’ts for 501(c)(3) Nonprofits Thank you to all of you who were able to attend our March 8 webinar “Being Nonpartisan: 2018 Voter Engagement Dos and Don’ts for 501(c)(3) Nonprofits” Special thanks to David Levitt for lending us his expertise. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the webinar PowerPoint and audio file, read more

Texans Take Advantage of Early Voting in Record Numbers . March 7, 2018

No matter which candidates walk away with the most votes in the 2018 Texas primaries, there has been one clear winner from the beginning — the voters.  Even before Tuesday’s ballots are counted, Texan voters took advantage of their rights and cast early votes in record numbers. According to Texas Secretary of State office, early read more

Webinar Rundown: Plan Ahead 2018 Part 2 . February 27, 2018

Webinar Rundown: Plan Ahead 2018 Part 2 Thank you to all of you who were able to attend our February 22nd webinar “Plan Ahead 2018 Part 2” Special thanks to Cheryl Ellis for lending us her expertise. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the webinar PowerPoint and audio file, or watch the webinar on Nonprofit VOTE’s YouTube channel. Quick Links: Here are a few read more

Webinar Rundown: Plan Ahead 2018 Part 1 . February 13, 2018

Webinar Rundown: Plan Ahead 2018 Part 1 Thank you to all of you who were able to attend our February 8th webinar “Plan Ahead 2018 Part 1” Special thanks to Cheryl Ellis for lending us her expertise. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the webinar PowerPoint and audio file, or watch the webinar on Nonprofit VOTE’s YouTube channel. Quick Links: Here are a few read more

Webinar Rundown: The Problem of Low Voter Turnout . November 20, 2017

Webinar Rundown: The Problem of Low Voter Turnout in Local Elections, 2017 Thank you to everyone who attended our November 14th webinar on “The Problem of Low Voter Turnout in Local Elections.” We would like to offer special thanks to Phil Kiesling for sharing his expertise with us. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the read more

Fair Vote Methods for Multi-Seat Elections . November 4, 2017

Fair Voting Methods for Multi-Seat Elections: Limited Voting, Cumulative Voting, proportional Ranked Choice Voting   Limited Voting, Cumulative Voting, and the proportional form of Ranked Choice Voting are the three main voting methods used as a “fair vote” alternative to the winner-take-all, plurality voting method used in At-Large elections. These include city councils, school committees, read more

Webinar Rundown: AAPI Vote . October 23, 2017

Webinar Rundown: AAPI Vote 2017 Thank you to everyone who attended our October 19th webinar on “The Asian American and Pacific Islander Vote.” We would like to offer special thanks to Karthick Ramakrishnan for sharing his expertise with us. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the webinar PowerPoint and audio file, or watch the webinar on Nonprofit VOTE’s YouTube channel. Quick Links: Here read more

Webinar Rundown: Working with Candidates .

Webinar Rundown: Working with Candidates 2017 Thank you to everyone who attended our October 12th webinar on “Working with Candidates.” We would like to offer special thanks to Cheryl Clyburn Crawford  for sharing her expertise with us. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the webinar PowerPoint and audio file, or watch the webinar on Nonprofit VOTE’s YouTube channel. Quick Links: Here are a read more

Using National Voter Registration Day to Help Voters Navigate Registration Requirements . September 8, 2017

Due to the unique evolution of democracy in the United States, elections are still largely administered by the states. While the rules vary, most states require you to register to vote prior to casting a ballot on Election Day, in some cases as much as 30 days in advance. So when do you need to read more

The Bias of At-Large Elections: How it Works . August 16, 2017

The Bias of At-Large Elections: How it Works “The Oldest Trick in the Book” If you want to rig a local election, there’s an easier way than stuffing a ballot box, gerrymandering a district, or amassing a campaign war chest to scare off challengers. Have your city or county adopt winner-take-all “At-Large” voting, where, instead read more

Two Examples of the Bias of At-Large Voting: From Non-election Settings . August 15, 2017

Two Examples of the Bias of At-Large Voting: From Non-election Settings The examples show how the use of standard plurality At-Large voting method allows one voting block to determine not just their fair share but all the choices. Under plurality at-large voting rules, voters may cast as many votes as there are choices. They may read more

Post-Webinar Resources: Pipelining Nonprofit Leaders . July 17, 2017

Nonprofit VOTE 6/20/2017 Webinar Resources: On June 20, 2017, Nonprofit VOTE held a webinar, “Running for Office: Pipelining Nonprofit Leaders“. We would like to offer special thanks to German Cash of New American Leaders Project and Shannon Garrett of SMG Strategies for making the time to share their expertise with all of us. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the webinar PowerPoint and audio file, read more

Webinar Rundown: Being Nonpartisan 2017 . May 26, 2017

Webinar Rundown: Being Nonpartisan 2017 Thank you to all of you who were able to attend our webinar last week “Being Nonpartisan.” We would like to offer special thanks to David Levitt of Adler & Colvin for making the time to share his legal expertise with all of us. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download read more

Political Competition Hits Historic Low: Part Three . May 11, 2017

Political Competition Hits Historic Low: Part Three The Electoral College (This three part series focuses on four foundational election practices that limit political competition and voter choice – methods not meant to be permanent and adopted in the 18th century when democracy was new, populations small, and few candidates or parties or people eligible to read more

Webinar Rundown: Register Your Constituents to Vote in 2017 . May 9, 2017

Webinar Rundown: Register Your Constituents to Vote Thank you to all of you who were able to attend our webinar last week “Register Your Constituents to Vote in 2017.” We would like to offer special thanks to Cheryl Ellis of Democracy North Carolina and Emily Shamsid-Deen of Community Resource Center in Denver Colorado for lending us read more

Political Competition Hits Historic Low: Part Two . May 4, 2017

Political Competition Hits Historic Low: Part Two Money and Politics (This three part series focuses on four foundational election practices that limit political competition and voter choice – methods not meant to be permanent and adopted in the 18th century when democracy was new, populations small, and candidates, parties and people eligible to vote few. read more

Webinar Rundown: Voter File 101 . April 21, 2017

Voter File 101: The Benefits of Using the Voter File in Civic Engagement and Advocacy Thank you to all of you who were able to attend our April 18th webinar “Voter File 101: The Benefits of Using the Voter File in Civic Engagement and Advocacy.” We would also like to thank George Christie and Chris read more

Political Competition Hits Historic Low: Part One . April 6, 2017

Political Competition Hits Historic Low: Part One The Anti-Competitive Impact of Winner-Take-All Voting and Partisan Redistricting Democracy cannot be just defined by the right to vote. Voters must also be offered meaningful choices between candidates and a genuine degree of electoral competition. Outside of a few battleground states, competition was hard to find in 2016. read more

One Reason People Don’t Vote – They’re Not Contacted . April 5, 2017

One Reason People Don’t Vote: They’re Not Contacted Did you know that in 2016, four in ten of the nation’s 231 million eligible voters didn’t vote. One reason is that, in spite of the election’s pervasive exposure in the media, the majority of eligible voters were never personally contacted about voting by a candidate or campaign. read more

Webinar Rundown: America Goes to the Polls 2016 . March 31, 2017

Thank you to everyone who attended our most recent webinar, America Goes to the Polls 2016. A special thanks to our presenters, Dr. Michael McDonald, Dorian McCaal, and our own Brian Miller for sharing their time and expertise. Here’s the contact information for each presenter: Dr. Michael P. McDonald Associate Professor, Department of Political Science read more

Nonpartisan Redistricting: Citizens (not Legislators) in Charge . March 29, 2017

Nonpartisan Redistricting: Citizen Commissions Drawing Districts While 2016 was momentous, the 2020 election is arguably a bigger political event. The presidential contest coincides with the election of state legislators who control the next round of redistricting – drawing new lines for their state’s Congressional seat and their own seats for the decade to come. While read more

The Electoral College: A Compromise Never Meant to Last . March 20, 2017

The Electoral College: A Compromise Never Meant to Last For the fifth time the Electoral College, the constitutional compromise principally forged to get slaveholder states to sign the constitution, elected the candidate with fewer actual votes than the popular vote winner.  Again questions are being raised about why the framers came up with scheme. Is read more

Webinar Rundown: Plan Ahead 2017 Part 2 . March 1, 2017

A big thank you to everyone who attended last week’s webinar “Plan Ahead 2017 Part 2: Nonpartisan Voter Engagement Tactics for Nonprofits.” We appreciate your excellent questions and comments. If you were unable to attend the webinar you can watch the webinar on Nonprofit VOTE’s Youtube channel now; download the PowerPoint presentation; or download the audio MP3. The two new read more

Webinar Rundown: Plan Ahead 2017 Part 1 . February 15, 2017

Our first webinar of 2017, “Plan Ahead 2017: Creating a Voter Engagement Plan and Timeline for Your Nonprofit,” is now in the books. If you were unable to attend the webinar you can watch the webinar on Nonprofit VOTE’s Youtube channel now; download the PowerPoint presentation; or download the audio MP3. The two new resources mentioned during the webinar are also read more

Webinar Rundown: Who Turned Out and What It Meant– A Profile of the 2016 Electorate . November 11, 2016

Our November webinar, one week after the election, focused changes in the composition of the electorate, voter turnout and election and voting trends. Thanks again to the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities for their generous support of the webinar. Support like theirs helps keep our webinars FREE and accessible for all! To learn more, click here. If you read more

ICYMI: Bourbon Steak Gets in the Election Spirit to Benefit NPV . November 4, 2016

BOURBON STEAK at Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC is getting into the election spirit and doing its own polling, the good old-fashioned way—all with the added benefit of supporting Nonprofit VOTE. Now through Election Day, guests who order one of the four specialty Presidential Cocktails concocted by head bartender Torrence Swain will be given a vintage style ballot read more

Webinar Rundown: GOTV Webinars . October 19, 2016

We hosted two Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) oriented webinars in September and October. In September, we focused on GOTV techniques rooted in scientific research (sponsored by the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities), and this past Thursday we focused on how GOTV activities specifically look like in a nonprofit setting (sponsored by YWCA-USA). Thanks again to the Alliance read more

Webinar Rundown: AAPI Voter Engagement – Messaging and Tactics . September 14, 2016

Last Thursday we hosted a specialized webinar focused on Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Voter Engagement Messaging and Tactics, sponsored by the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities. Thanks again, Alliance for Strong Families and Communities! These generous sponsorships help keep our webinars FREE and accessible for all! To learn more, click here. To the read more

Webinar Rundown: Celebrating National Voter Registration Day . August 30, 2016

Interest in National Voter Registration Day, set to take place on Tuesday September 27th this year, is running high. Last Thursday’s webinar on how to get involved in NVRD attracted 569 interested nonprofit staff, volunteers and others, setting a new record for Nonprofit VOTE. If you missed the webinar, you can now watch it on YouTube, and read more

Webinar Rundown: Promising Reforms to Voting and Elections . August 4, 2016

Last Thursday, we were very fortunate to be joined by Jennifer Clark, Counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice’s Democracy Program and the Honorable Phillip Keisling, Director of the Center for Public Service, located in the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University and former Oregon Secretary of State to discuss promising reforms to read more

10 Things to Do from Now until Election Day . August 3, 2016

November 8th is just weeks away. Early voting starts in a month in early October in some states. There’s still a great deal your nonprofit can do to encourage voting and raise the profile of Election Day.  Promote Early Voting Opportunities. Early voting can allow voters to avoid lines and provides additional flexibility in casting read more

Webinar Rundown: Nonprofit Votes Count . July 26, 2016

Webinar Rundown: Nonprofit Votes Count Last Thursday we held a webinar on Nonprofit Votes Count, a campaign headed by Nonprofit VOTE, United Way Worldwide, Independent Sector, and National Council of Nonprofits that focuses on the capacity of the nonprofit sector to do voter engagement work! If you missed the webinar, you can now watch the recording on read more

Voting by Mail in Colorado, Oregon and Washington . July 7, 2016

Voting by Mail in Colorado, Oregon and Washington An under noticed reform that may be changing the future of how we vote Imagine a new voter walking for the first time into their polling location – hopefully the right one – nervous about lines, their ID and the check in. They then face the bigger read more

Webinar Rundown: What Staff Can(‘t) Do: Political Activities On and Off the Clock . July 5, 2016

What Nonprofit Staff Can(‘t) Do: Political Activities On and Off the Clock Last Thursday, we held a webinar on what nonprofit staff can and cannot do when it comes to political activities. If you missed the webinar, you can now watch the recording on our YouTube channel and download both the PowerPoint presentation and audio read more

Webinar Rundown: Voter Registration at CHCs . June 29, 2016

Webinar Rundown: Voter Registration at Community Health Centers Last Thursday, Nonprofit VOTE held a webinar for community health centers interested in conducting voter registration in the lead up to the presidential election. We were fortunate to be joined by three excellent speakers on the topic: Andrea Abel of Texas Association of Community Health Centers, Allan read more

You Too Can “Win the White House” . June 28, 2016

You Too Can “Win the White House” An online educational game for students and everyone by iCivics   iCivics, one of the largest classroom-based digital civics educational resources in the country, has released an updated version of Win the White House  , the popular game that teaches students the electoral process by putting them in read more

VIP: Delivering Non-Partisan
Voting Information in 2016 . June 6, 2016

VIP: Delivering Non-Partisan Voting Information in 2016 What’s the first thing you do when you realize there’s an election coming?  If you’re like most people, you probably open a search engine and search “where’s my polling place?” or “what’s on my ballot?”  To make sure you can find this information and trust what you find, read more

Webinar Rundown: Take a Stand in 2016 . June 2, 2016

Webinar Rundown: Take a Stand in 2016 Ballotpedia.org, an online encyclopedia of American politics and elections, predicts that somewhere between 150 and 200 ballot measures will appear on ballots around the country this November. The most popular issues, including legalizing marijuana, expanding healthcare, and raising the minimum wage, will appear on ballots in several states. read more

Webinar Rundown: Working with Candidates in 2016 . May 19, 2016

Webinar Rundown: Working with Candidates in 2016 Our recent webinar on the various ways in which a 501(c)(3) nonprofit can interact with candidates for public office produced some interesting questions. Before I get to those, Nonprofit VOTE would like to thank Cheryl Clyburn Crawford of Mass VOTE for her invaluable insights into how to host a successful candidate forum. read more

End Partisan Redistricting by 2020 . May 12, 2016

End Partisan Redistricting by 2020   With all eyes on 2016, the election in 2020 is arguably a bigger political event. In four years the presidential contest will coincide with the election of state legislatures who control the next round of redistricting – drawing new lines for Congress and themselves. While we brace for another read more

Library of Voter Engagement Resources Launched! . April 20, 2016

We are pleased to announce that we have just launched a newly-updated and expanded online library of nonpartisan voter engagement resources for 2016. The resource library, which can be found at www.nonprofitvote.org/resource-library, provides guidance, how-to’s, and best practices on a range of voter engagement activities, including staying nonpartisan, organizing voter registration drives, convening candidate forums, read more

Supreme Court Unanimously Confirms Core Principle of Equal Representation and One Person, One Vote . April 12, 2016

Last week, a unanimous Supreme Court swept away a challenge to the principle of “one person, one vote”. The challenge brought by a Texas legal advocate would have allowed Texas and other states to create legislative districts based on a count of eligible voters – and not the accepted standard of total population. Speaking for read more

Webinar Materials: Being Nonpartisan . March 31, 2016

After a long delay, we’re finally posting the materials from our March 17th webinar on Being Nonpartisan. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the webinar PowerPoint and audio file, or watch the webinar on Nonprofit VOTE’s YouTube channel. Quick Links: Here are a few of the other resources we mentioned during the webinar: Benefits read more

Webinar Materials: The Benefits of Voting . March 1, 2016

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend last week’s webinar “The Benefits of Voting.” Thank you also for all of your questions. If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact George Pillsbury or Julian Johannesen. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the webinar PowerPoint and audio file, or watch the read more

Webinar Materials: Getting Started in 2016 . February 16, 2016

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend last week’s webinar “Getting Started in 2016.” We would also like to thank you for the great questions. If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact Lindsey Hodel or Julian Johannesen. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the webinar PowerPoint and audio read more

From the Founder: The American Legion’s One Hundred Year Commitment to Voter Engagement and Nonpartisanship . February 4, 2016

… Well 97 years and counting. The American Legion’s strong tradition of voter and civic engagement kicked off again this election year when in January it made a 2016 call to Legionnaires to exercise their duty as active citizens and promote get out the vote activities in this year’s presidential campaign. Forty-five years before the IRS read more

Webinar Materials: Plan Ahead 2016 . January 22, 2016

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend yesterday’s webinar “Plan Ahead 2016.” One hundred twenty nine of you joined the webinar! We could not be happier to see that kind of enthusiasm for nonpartisan voter outreach work. We would also like to thank you for the great questions. If you have any more questions, read more

Two New Resources for 2016! .

Today, as a part of our “Ready for 2016” initiative, Nonprofit VOTE is happy to release the first two of more than 25 updated resources we’ll be rolling out for 2016! Our “2016 Voter Registration and Engagement Timeline” providers a month by month checklist for planning your organization’s voter registration and voter outreach activities in read more

From the Founder: Voter Registration Moves Online . January 7, 2016

  Transactions of every kind are moving online and have been for a while. ATMs appeared in New York in 1969 and you could bank online by the 1980s.  It’s 2016 and in a world wired and wireless, voting and voter registration may be the last bastion ruled by pen and paper.  Some say it’s read more

Webinar Materials: Engaging New Voters in 2016 . December 11, 2015

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend yesterday’s webinar “Engaging New Voters in 2016.”  More than 166 people joined the webinar! That’s one of the highest turnouts we’ve ever had. We really do appreciate your interest and all of your great questions. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the webinar PowerPoint and read more

New Report Makes the Case for Nonprofit Voter Engagement . December 2, 2015

This evening, Nonprofit VOTE released a new report that examines the impact nonprofits have when they engage the communities they serve in voting and elections. Engaging New Voters: The Impact of Nonprofit Voter Outreach on Client and Community Turnout is based on an analysis of 129 nonprofits that did voter engagement work across nine states read more

Webinar Materials: Election Reform Gains in 2015 . November 13, 2015

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend yesterday’s webinar “Election Reform Gains in 2015.”  Special thanks go to Wendy Weiser, director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. Webinar Materials: Please feel free to download the webinar PowerPoint and audio file, or watch the webinar read more

40 Secretaries of State #CelebrateNVRD in 2015 . November 6, 2015

In 2015, 40 Secretaries of State and state election offices promoted voter registration by endorsing National Voter Registration Day and National Voter Registration Month. See the full story below or open it in a new tab. [View the story “Secretaries of State #CelebrateNVRD in 2015” on Storify]

From the Founder: Automatic Registration Moves Forward . November 5, 2015

Among the most foundational rights as a citizen is the right to vote. It’s also one of a citizen’s most important responsibilities along with serving on a jury when called and paying ones taxes. This right is compromised by an outdated, still largely paper registration system that differs in all 50 states. One in four read more