LA County Takes Strategic Look at Elections

Last fall the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk--overseeing the largest voting district in the country with over four million voters--announced that it would completely overhaul its election system over the next five years.

Before making any decisions, however, they wanted to know what voters thought about elections. They surveyed more than 1,000 voters and more than 1,000 poll workers, as well as city clerks and county staff, asking participants what they liked about the current voting system and what they'd like to see in the future. The county also got input from various stakeholders like advocates for persons with disabilities and those with limited English skills.

Last week, the county hosted and live streamed one of their Voting Systems Project discussions, broadcasting ongoing updates and tweeting images from brainstorming sessions like a ballot receipt mockup and a sketch for drive-thru voting.

The county is sharing its survey findings with think tanks and other organizations in hopes that they may be used to design a better voting system. The goal is to have the new system functioning countywide in time for the presidential elections in 2016.

Elections are the vehicle through which citizens' voices are heard, so kudos to LA County for giving the public a say in how they can or can't cast their ballot. Read more about LA County's efforts.

Black History Month Voting Facts

As Black History Month comes to a close, we wanted to share some voting statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau.

11.1 million black voters cast a ballot in the 2010 congressional election, making up 12% of the electorate--a slight increase from 11 percent of the total electorate in 2006.
 
55% of eligible black youth ages 18 to 24 turned out in the 2008 presidential election, an 8 percentage point increase from 2004, and the highest turnout rate among all 18- to 24-year-olds.

65% of black citizens turned out in the 2008 presidential election, up about 5 percentage points from 2004.

Black participation rates are on the rise, but we can do even better in 2012. Make sure your organization has a plan for talking to your clients and constituents about voting in this year's elections. Get started today!

Statistics come from the U.S. Census Bureau, Voting and Registration in the Election of 2008 and Voting and Registration in the Election of 2010.

(Image Source)

In California, Redistricting Input Generates Results

Did you attend a local redistricting hearing to offer testimony about your community? If so, rest assured that it paid off. Last week California's Citizens Redistricting Commission released the first set of draft redistricting maps. Upon their release, Greenlining Institute Redistricting Fellow Michelle Romero noted "One thing that's clear is that when communities turned out to make their feelings known, it made a difference."

Unfortunately, so far communities of color have shown up in smaller numbers. Luckily, this is just the first set of maps, and the Commission will continue to hold community meetings across the state to gather input. If you considered attending one, but haven't yet, there's still time! Romero encouraged "Anyone who feels the draft maps don't treat their communities appropriately...to speak up now."

The Commission has already fielded comments from more than 1,500 people. "Our No. 1 priority at this point is to give every single person in California a political voice," said Chairman Gabino Aguirre, who receives hundreds of emails each day about the Commission's work. The Redistricting Commission has until August 15 to submit the final maps to the secretary of state for approval.

Luckily, it's not just Californians who get to participate. See what the redistricting process looks like in your state, and make sure to speak up because you can influence where the lines are drawn!


Tweet

"Young Black Voters: The Future of American Politics"

Last month the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) hosted a webinar featuring Dr. Cathy Cohen--a political science professor at the University of Chicago--who addressed "Young Black Voters 2008 to 2012: The Future of American Politics."

The 2008 presidential election saw an increase of 3.4 million young voters, when youth turnout rose to 53% (an 11% increase over 2000). Black and Latino youth fueled the gains, and in fact, 53% of black youth voted in 2008, 4% more than white youth.

One of Dr. Cohen’s major arguments was that there is no homogeneous "youth vote" and lumping younger voters together under that heading does a major disservice to all young people.

Why is it important to distinguish between different youth factions? Youth have different views on various issues. For example, 69% of black youth think that racism is still a major problem, compared to 51% of Latino youth and 31% of white youth. And when asked if they feel like a full and equal citizen, 66% of white youth and 63% of Asian youth said yes, while only 43% of black youth and 43% of Latino youth said yes.

Moreover, only 55% of black students graduate from high school--compared to 78% of white students--and 35% of black children live in poverty. Currently, black men have the highest unemployment rate among youth. The various individuals who make up the "youth" voting bloc vote for different reasons and are motivated by different issues. That is why it is important not to categorize them all together as simply "youth."

Reaching out to all young voters is critical because individuals 18-35 are the group least likely to be contacted by a political party. College is traditionally an institution that mobilizes young people, which means that we must have other methods of targeting youth that are not enrolled in college.

In 2008, we saw many innovative mobilization strategies, such as the use of community organizations and new media. Dr. Cohen said that the key to organizing young black voters in 2012 will be to reach first time voters and non-college young people through innovative and non-traditional strategies, with messaging on issues that are important to them. Through this work, we can counter the conventional wisdom that black youth are not interested in politics.

By heightening the involvement of young people, we are building sustained civic communities. Cultivating a sense of civic duty and encouraging lifelong voting habits among all youth are critical for national civic health and the future of our democracy. At Nonprofit VOTE, we think that nonprofit organizations and social service agencies have a role to play in this movement. Such organizations are well-positioned to begin to address these participation gaps and reach out to potential voters.

Learn more about Dr. Cohen and her work.

(Image Source)

Share