Thank You for an Incredible 2013!

Before 2013 comes to a close, we want to a take a brief moment to thank our partners, our supporters, and nonprofits across the country for supporting voting.

2013 was an exciting year for Nonprofit VOTE:

• We debuted brand-new research on the impact of nonprofit voter engagement, including both turnout data and case studies. 
• The second annual National Voter Registration Day was once again endorsed by the National Association of Secretaries of State and embraced by secretaries of state across the country.
• We released the latest report in our America Goes to the Polls series as well as an accompanying report on voter turnout gaps. 
• We concluded another successful run of our annual webinar series, all of which can be watched anytime on our YouTube channel.

There will be plenty for nonprofits to do in 2014. In case you want to get a jump on things, you can register now for our January 23rd webinar on making a voter engagement plan.

Thank you for everything and Happy New Year from Nonprofit VOTE!

New Interactive Map from the Census Bureau

Today, the U.S. Census Bureau released Census Explorer, a new interactive map that gives users easier access to neighborhood-level statistics.

The map uses the most current statistics, updated from the 2008-2012 American Community Survey. Topics currently available in Census Explorer include:

• Total population,
• Percent 65 and older,
• Foreign-born population percentage,
• Percent of the population with a high school degree or higher,
• Percent with a bachelor's degree or higher,
• Labor force participation rate,
• Home ownership rate, and
• Median household income.

In addition to these characteristics, more than 40 American Community Survey social, economic and housing topics are now available through the Census Bureau's data tool, American Factfinder. This includes the first release of local statistics for disability, marital history, VA service-connected disability, health insurance coverage, and year of naturalization. Don't wait, start exploring!

What We Learned in 2013

As 2013 ends, it's the perfect time to reflect on what we learned this year.

This summer, Nonprofit VOTE released a two-part report, Can Nonprofits Increase Voting Among Their Clients, Constituents, and Staff? An Evaluation of the Track the Vote Program. While Part I of the report showcases the impact of nonprofit voter engagement on turnout in 2012, Part II tells the story of the nonprofits that talked to their communities about voting. By tracking the contacts nonprofits made with voters, we found:

• Nonprofits were particularly effective at increasing voter turnout among groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the electoral process. Voter turnout of nonprofit voters compared to all registered voters was: 18 points higher for Latino voters, 15 points higher for voters under the age of 30, and 15 points higher for voters with household incomes under $25,000. 
• Disparities in voter turnout by age, income, race, and ethnicity narrowed or disappeared among voters engaged by the nonprofits compared to the large turnout gaps evident among registered voters. 
• The most successful nonprofits made their voter engagement plans early, giving them time to pilot their programs and make adjustments. 
• Staffing is a key consideration. This means not only having a staff lead organizing and planning activities, but also ensuring there is adequate staffing--provided internally or by a partner--to carry out the efforts. 

In addition to our findings, other organizations also reported on new voting insights:

• Turnout in states with Election Day Registration was 12.5 points higher than in states without it. Election Day Registration accounted for approximately 1 in 8 ballots cast on November 6, 2012 in the eight states (and DC) that allowed it at the time. 
• For young people without college experience, the existence of a photo ID law in their state predicted lower turnout in 2012. However, the same report found that same-day registration improved overall youth turnout. 
• Turnout among voters with disabilities was strong, despite difficulties. 30.1 percent of voters with disabilities reported difficulty in voting at a polling place, compared to 8.4% of voters without disabilities. Nevertheless, 15.6 million people with disabilities reported voting in the November 2012 elections, turning out at a rate 5.7 percentage points lower than that of people without disabilities. 
• 75 percent of disenfranchised voters live in their communities, either under probation or parole supervision or having completed their sentence. 5.85 million Americans are prohibited from voting due to laws that disenfranchise citizens convicted of felony offenses. However, since 1997, 23 states have modified felony disenfranchisement provisions to expand voter eligibility. As a result, from 1997 to 2010 an estimated 800,000 citizens have regained the right to vote.

Connecticut Debuts Election Day Registration

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This month's municipal elections in Connecticut marked the first time voters in the state could register on Election Day. In Connecticut, Election Day Registration is not available at polling places. Instead, each town has a designated Election Day Registration location.

Secretary of State Denise Merrill estimates that between 1,500 and 2,000 people took advantage of Election Day Registration and that it was particularly popular in New Haven. She noted, "This is the first election it's in effect and it did very well; we had no problems."

Secretary Merrill tweeted that turnout was 31% statewide--a high of 77% in Bridgewater and a low of 5.21% in Hartford.

Learn more about the states that allow Election or Same-Day Registration. 

CIRCLE Reports on Youth Turnout in NJ and VA

According to CIRCLE's calculations of exit polls, youth turnout was 26% in Virginia and 18% in New Jersey this year.  Using the same methods, CIRCLE concluded that youth turnout in Virginia was 17% in 2009 and 18% in 1997, and in New Jersey 26% in 1997 and 19% in 2009. This suggests a significant increase in Virginia in 2013 compared to the two most recent gubernatorial races.

These turnout estimates mean that roughly 288,000 young voters cast ballots on November 5th in Virginia, out of the estimated 1.1 million 18-29 year-old citizens who live in that state. In New Jersey, roughly 206,000 young voters cast a ballot out of the estimated 1.2 million 18-29 year old citizens.

CIRCLE Director Peter Levine noted that "Although 18% and 26% are far from satisfactory, these statistics should be put in context," and that "Turnout is always much lower in off-year gubernatorial elections than in presidential years"

Read CIRCLE's full analysis.

* The estimated numbers of young people who voted in the 1997 and 2009 governors’ races were calculated using: (1) the number of ballots cast in each race according to the media, (2) the youth share of those who voted, based on the exit polls conducted by Edison Research for the National Election Pool, and (3) the estimated number of 18-29 year old citizens taken from the Census Current Population Survey, March Demographic File of that year. Edison Research estimates that its exit polls have a margin of error rate of plus or minus three percentage points.

Washington Voters Reject Changes to Initiative Process

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 initiative or referendum process that offers citizens the right to make and remake laws, as well as check the decisions of the legislature. If citizens are dissatisfied with a particular law or feel that a new law is needed, they can forward an initiative and place it on the ballot.

Once a path for citizen democracy, ballot measures have increasingly become yet another way for well-funded interests to pursue their agenda. The "money equals 'free' speech" legal theory has prohibited states from limiting the special interest money behind these measures and has created an uneven playing field between issue supporters and opponents. What was once a volunteer driven process that required a high threshold of citizen support has turned into a system where the signatures required to qualify a measure are usually gathered by for-profit companies that contract with ballot measure sponsors.

I-517 proposed significant changes to Washington’s initiative and referendum process, including expanding the rights of paid and volunteer signature gatherers and making it illegal to interfere with an individual gathering signatures. Purporting to protect the First Amendment rights of citizens (or signature gathering firms), the initiative sought to permit signature collection on public sidewalks, store entrances and exits, sport stadiums, convention/exhibition centers, and public fairs. This would have greatly imposed upon the rights of business owners, nonprofits, and government alike to set guidelines about when and where signatures are collected. It would have also proved intrusive to the public as it expanded the types of areas and venues in which signatures could be collected. Lastly, the initiative would have increased the time allotted to collect signatures from 10 to 16 months, an expanded time frame that would also have helped signature-collection companies earn more money.

Secretaries of State Embrace National Voter Registration Day

Not only did the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) declare September National Voter Registration Month, but they once again endorsed National Voter Registration Day (NVRD).

On Tuesday September 24th, more than a dozen secretaries of state participated in the second annual National Voter Registration Day by promoting voter registration, hosting special events, or joining the online conversation.

The 2013-14 NASS president, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, was particularly engaged in National Voter Registration Month and NVRD. He encouraged Tennessee voters to snap photos holding an "I'm registered to vote. Are you?" sign and share them online. Secretary Hargett led by example, posting his picture on Twitter and the GoVoteTN website. 

On National Voter Registration Day, Hargett's Twitter feed was full of these photo retweets (including state election commissioners), facts about voting (like "Voting keeps your status active, but if your address has changed you need to change your address with the election commission."), and links to voting information.

Secretaries of State from Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana. Missouri, Minnesota, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Texas also tweeted about #CelebrateNVRD. They encouraged voters to register, check their registration status, and make updates as necessary. States that allow online registration, like California and Washington, made it easy to "check 'registering to vote' off your to-do list" by directing voters to online registration portals.

In Georgia, the Secretary of State shared information on current voter registration numbers and demographics. Connecticut Secretary of State Denise Merrill launched a high school voter registration contest. In his NVRD press release, the Kansas Secretary of State sought to promote awareness for voter registration requirements, including resources that cover ID and proof of citizenship requirements.

On September 24th, secretaries of state across the country not only affirmed the importance of voting, but also demonstrated their commitment to engaging voters and promoting voter registration. Now, as they say in Louisiana, Let's Geaux Vote!

National Voter Registration Day Webinar Materials

Yesterday's webinar, National Voter Registration Day is September 24th, is now available. Many thanks to Emily Alsleben of the Bus Federation and Maggie Duncan from the League of Women Voters for joining us to discuss this exciting event.

Watch the presentation on YouTube. If you subscribe to our channel, you'll be notified whenever new content is posted. You can also download the PowerPoint presentation and the audio portion of the presentation, or visit www.nationalvoterregistrationday.org to learn more.

National Voter Registration Day 2013

Last year's inaugural National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) was an overwhelming success. 1,100 organizations and 9,000 volunteers helped register over 300,000 voters nationwide.

Join this annual event and show your support for voter participation by helping your clients and constituents register to vote. Learn more about how your nonprofit can get involved or host an event by registering for our August 1st webinar.

National Voter Registration Day is Tuesday September 24th. Millions of people will vote this year. Will you help your community participate? Sign your organization up today!

Nonprofit Voter Engagement Webinar Materials

Yesterday's webinar, Getting Started with Nonprofit Voter Engagement, is now available. Thank you to Isela Gutiérrez-Gunter for joining us to discuss how nonprofits can participate in 2013 elections.

Watch the presentation on YouTube. If you subscribe to our channel, you'll be notified whenever new content is posted. You can also download the PowerPoint presentation and the audio portion of the presentation, or browse all of our nonprofit voter engagement resources.

Does your community have elections this year? See the U.S. Conference of Mayor's list of 2013 mayoral elections.

Registration is now open for our March webinar, Being Nonpartisan: Voter Engagement for 501(c)(3) Nonprofits. Sign up today!

Tomorrow: Getting Started with Voter Engagement

There's still time to register for tomorrow's webinar!

Get Started with Nonprofit Voter Engagement
Thursday February 21st, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Looking for an introduction to nonpartisan voter engagement for nonprofits? Join us for an overview of nonpartisan dos and don'ts, as well as effective tactics for voter registration, voter education, ballot measure advocacy, candidate engagement, and get-out-the-vote efforts. We'll focus on ways to help you integrate outreach into services you already provide. Register today!

Featured Presenter: Isela Gutiérrez-Gunter is currently a consultant with Nonprofit VOTE and previously led the Nonprofit Voter Engagement Project at Democracy North Carolina. Her prior work experience includes advocacy around statewide juvenile justice reform in Texas and local drug policy reform in Seattle, WA. She has a BA in History from Scripps College and a MSW with an emphasis on Community, Management, and Policy Practice from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Four Reasons to Get Involved in Local Elections

Although local elections lack the prominence of presidential races, they are a great platform for nonprofits to begin or to expand their voter engagement efforts. Participation tends to be lower in local races because many voters don't understand the offices, know who the candidates are, or because there is less campaigning. Your nonprofit can fill this void and raise participation rates by focusing on voter education. Here are four reasons to get involved with a local election this year:

1. Knowledge and Power for Your Community. Comprehensive voter education can build both knowledge among and power for your constituents. Empowering your community in local elections can encourage other civic habits in addition to benefiting your organization. 
2. Fewer Voters and Greater Impact. Because fewer voters cast ballots in local elections, your potential to impact the election is enormous. Registering and turning out even a small number of voters can dramatically change the landscape of an election. 
3. Greater Access to Candidates. It's easier in local elections to connect with candidates. It's also a great way to raise the profile of your organization. You can forge relationships that benefit your community now, and that also have the potential to pay off as local candidates are elected to higher office. 
4. The Results Matter. Local races may not be as popular as presidential races, but they nevertheless impact policy, zoning, spending decisions, school organization, and much more. 

The U.S. Conference of Mayors has released its list of 2013 mayoral races. If there is an election in your community this year, don't sit it out. There is an enormous need to increase voter participation in local elections and no matter what your organization does, you can positively impact your community.

Webinar: Getting Started with Voter Engagement

Voters won't be selecting the next president this year, but they will be electing state and local government leaders. Don't sit out during these important elections!

Get Started with Nonprofit Voter Engagement
Thursday February 21st, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Looking for an introduction to nonpartisan voter engagement for nonprofits? Join us for an overview of nonpartisan dos and don'ts, as well as effective tactics for voter registration, voter education, ballot measure advocacy, candidate engagement, and get-out-the-vote efforts. We'll focus on ways to help you integrate outreach into services you already provide. Register today!

Featured Presenter: Isela Gutiérrez-Gunter is currently a consultant with Nonprofit VOTE and previously led the Nonprofit Voter Engagement Project at Democracy North Carolina. Her prior work experience includes advocacy around statewide juvenile justice reform in Texas and local drug policy reform in Seattle, WA. She has a BA in History from Scripps College and a MSW with an emphasis on Community, Management, and Policy Practice from UNC-Chapel Hill.

2013 Elections on the Horizon

Although there is no presidential election, voters will still make critical decisions about state and local government leaders in 2013. There will be gubernatorial and state legislative elections in both New Jersey and Virginia on November 5th after June primaries.

Throughout the year voters in various cities will decide mayoral elections. The U.S. Conference of Mayors has yet to post a full list of 2013 contests, but you can browse a list of major cities holding elections this year, including Boston, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

While local elections may not receive the funding or attention of national contests, the outcome will nevertheless impact local revenue, spending, and policy decisions. Your organization can have a tremendous influence on these local elections--browse our voter engagement resources for ideas.