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
Thank you to everyone who was able to attend Tuesday’s webinar, Laws on the Ballot: Ballot Measure Advocacy for Nonprofits. We would like to offer special thanks to our featured presenter, Abby Levine, legal director of Bolder Advocacy. Please feel free to download the webinar PowerPoint as a PDF, download an audio recording of the read more
On November 4th voters will decide the fate of 146 statewide ballot measures in 42 states. While nonprofits cannot endorse or oppose candidates for office, they can engage their communities around ballot measures. Your efforts for or against a ballot measure are considered lobbying not electioneering. Therefore, your nonprofit can: Take a stand on a read more
Thanks to Ballotpedia we have the final count for statewide ballot measures this year–148. Just 35–a near record low–of these ballot measures are citizen-proposed. The last time the total number of statewide measures fell below 150 was 1986. In 2012, voters saw 188 statewide ballot questions. 136 of this year’s statewide ballot measures will appear read more
30 years ago common wisdom said there was little difference between the beliefs of voters and non-voters. However, a new book, Who Votes Now? Demographics, Issues, Inequality and Turnout in the United States, shows that today there’s a marked difference between the issue preferences of those who vote and those who don’t. The groups divide read more
This post was written by Aisia Davis, Nonprofit VOTE’s Administrative Assistant and a 2L student at New England Law | Boston. Earlier this month, Washington voters rejected a proposal that would have increased the profitability of the signature gathering business by altering the state’s initiative process. Washington is one of 24 states which use an read more
Did you know that working for or against a ballot measure is considered lobbying (not electioneering) and is therefore a permissible activity for 501(c)(3) organizations? Learn more during our next webinar: Laws on the Ballot: Ballot Measure Advocacy for Nonprofits Thursday July 25th, 2:00-3:00pm EasternAlthough nonprofits cannot support or oppose candidates, they can take a stand read more
Ballot measures give citizens the opportunity to directly accept or reject laws or amendments. This year, voters in many states cast ballots on proposals related to revenue, spending, and public services. In California, voters passed both Propositions 30 and 39, which raised income taxes and corporate taxes, respectively, as a means to prevent cuts to read more
On November 6th voters will decide the fate of 176 ballot measures in 38 states. They cover a range of issues including taxes and revenue, immigrant rights, public services, criminal justice, voter ID requirements, and same-sex marriage. While nonprofits cannot endorse or oppose candidates for office, they can engage their communities around ballot measures. Remember, read more
In an average year, there are over 5,000 local ballot measures on ballots across the country However, Ballotpedia recently reviewed 738 county election websites and found that as many as 32% don’t display information on local ballot measures. The study reviewed 738 county election websites in 11 states–about 24% of the nation’s 3,143 counties. Accessible read more
Laws on the Ballot: How Nonprofits Can Take a Stand on Ballot Questions Thursday, July 28th at 2:00pm EasternMany states put laws and constitutional amendments on the ballot, asking voters to make critical public policy decisions at the polls. Often, nonprofits have a vested interest in the outcome of these questions because they directly affect read more
In the spirit of American independence, join us for our July webinar on direct democracy. Laws on the Ballot: How Nonprofits Can Take a Stand on Ballot QuestionsThursday July 28th, 2:00-3:00pm EasternMany states put laws and constitutional amendments on the ballot, asking voters to make critical public policy decisions at the polls. Often, nonprofits have read more
