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.

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Arizona Nonprofits in Action

Many in Arizona's nonprofit community are working diligently to register and educate voters with the goal of increasing voter turnout this November.

This year, the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits is collaborating with several partners to offer tools and assistance to organizations interested in actively engaging their stakeholders. The next event--kicking off their voter registration phase--will be a voter engagement workshop on Friday, March 16, presented by Reclaiming Our Community's Power.

The Alliance has also partnered with the O'Connor House Centennial Voter Initiative, which is creating a broad-based coalition of partners to “stimulate an informed and engaged electorate, create more awareness of the importance of voting, provide easy access to fact-based information, register significant numbers of people regardless of party or views, and to get people to the polls in record numbers.”

And of course, they frequently share Nonprofit VOTE resources with their network. Arizona nonprofits are voterizing! Will you join them?

February Webinar Materials

Missed yesterday's webinar, States Move to Restrict Voting: What Your Nonprofit Can Do to Defend the Right to Vote? No problem!

Watch the webinar on our YouTube channel. 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 learn more about voting in your state and voter suppression litigation.

Registration is now open for our March webinar, Nonpartisan Voter Participation Basics for Nonprofits. RSVP today!

Nonprofits in Action: Native Vote

In his 2012 State of Indian Nations address, the National Congress of American Indians president called for Indian Country to "work tirelessly in 2012 to see the highest Native turnout ever."

To raise participation rates, Native Vote--an ongoing campaign to inform and support Native voters--has developed a focused plan to engage their constituents, starting with the basics: training. They are hosting both an in-person training and a webinar on "Native Vote for Nonprofits".

Native Vote urges supports to be active by:  

• Attending a webinar or training to learn how to get involved.
• Interacting and sharing information on NativeVote.org, Twitter, and Facebook. Like Native Vote and help them get 20,000 likes by Election Day!
• Identifying a Native Vote Coordinator for your tribe. 
• Distributing educational materials to voters and candidates about Indian Country issues.
• Registering to vote.
• Talking to your friends and family about the importance of voting.

Native Vote has produced a variety of resources for community organizers, candidates and other officials, including a pledge card, Native Vote toolkit, and a forthcoming youth curriculum.

Whether or not you work with Native communities, your nonprofit can learn from Native Vote's tactics, creativity, and initiative. Follow their lead and help empower your community this November!

Partner Spotlight: Coalition on Human Needs

One of our newest national partners, the Coalition on Human Needs (CHN) is an alliance of national organizations working to promote public policies that address the needs of low-income and other vulnerable people. Like many nonprofits involved in advocacy and public policy work, CHN believes that voter engagement complements these efforts.

The Coalition on Human Needs is active in voter engagement and co-hosted a webinar last month on nonprofit do's and don'ts in an election year. Through the webinar, CHN encouraged its network to use voter engagement to think about activities and opportunities to advance the anti-poverty framework they support. Follow CHN's lead and voterize your nonprofit!

Register Now for Thursday's Webinar

There's still time to register for this week's webinar!

States Move to Restrict Voting: How Nonprofits Can Defend the Right to Vote
Thursday February 23rd, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Last year there was an unprecedented nationwide effort to pass legislation that creates voter registration barriers and limits access to the polls. Unfortunately, that effort continues in 2012. Many of these new laws require voters to provide photo ID at the polls, mandate proof of citizenship before registering to vote, and place severe restrictions on third party voter registration drives. Join us for more on these issues and how you can educate your constituents about the changes, as well as ideas for helping to counter them.

Featured Presenter: Ben Hovland is a Senior Attorney with the Fair Elections Legal Network.

Uncertain Future for Montana’s Corrupt Practice Act

For over a century, Montana has prohibited corporate political spending. However, the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision allowed unlimited corporate spending in elections on the basis that it does "not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption." After the ruling, at least nine of the 24 states with campaign laws threatened by Citizens United either repealed or suspended them.

Bolstered by the Citizens decision, three corporations filed suit last year to overturn Montana's 1912 Corrupt Practices Act, passed by voter referendum.

So far, the Act has been upheld by the Montana Supreme Court based on "an extraordinary history of political corruption by out-of-state foreign corporations and interests in the years leading up to the aptly-named Act, maintaining an extraordinarily accessible government in a sparsely populated state, and preserving citizens' control of and confidence in an elected judiciary."

Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock further argues that the Act "imposes far different obligations, and therefore affects corporate speech in a far different manner, than the federal law at issue in Citizens United." To many, it seems unlikely that the Supreme Court will accept Montana's argument, but whatever the outcome, it will surely shape this year's election cycle. 

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Want a Voting Presentation for Your Conference?

Inspired by the impressive work of their peers, countless nonprofits are doing voter engagement outreach for the first time this year. Many organizations are spreading the word by including voter engagement panels and breakout sessions at their annual conferences or inviting guest speakers to special events. Jump start this important conversation in your network by highlighting voter engagement at your upcoming convening!

Nonprofit VOTE is presenting at the policy convenings and national conferences of Independent Sector, Lutheran Services in America, APIA Vote, Smart Start/NC Partnership for Children, and Midwest Democracy Network, where we'll be talking about voter engagement tactics and tips for 2012. Interested in having Nonprofit VOTE coordinate a presenter or speaker for your conference, event, or convening? Contact us!

Engage Candidates in 2012

Take advantage of the 2012 election coverage and engage the candidates! A presidential election piques interest in both local and national politics, so many candidates are eager to participate in a variety of events. Connect with them by hosting a candidate forum, inviting them to an event, or giving them research and information about the issues you advocate for.

Your nonprofit might not have access to a presidential candidate, but there are plenty of opportunities to engage candidates in other races. In California, the Center for Nonprofit Management and Southern California Grantmakers have partnered to host a Los Angeles Mayoral Candidate Forum on February 28.

Cara Underwood, Southern California Grantmakers' Public Policy Manager, cited Nonprofit VOTE's webinar, "Nonpartisan Candidate Forums: Building Political Clout for Your Nonprofit" as a helpful planning resource. Check out our other resources on candidate engagement and get started today!

• "Working with Candidates" Factsheet
• "Hosting a Candidate Forum" Online Training
• "A Nonprofit's Guide to Hosting a Candidate Forum"

February Webinar: Defending the Right to Vote

Register now for our February 2012 webinar!

States Move to Restrict Voting: How Nonprofits Can Defend the Right to Vote
Thursday February 23rd, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Last year there was an unprecedented nationwide effort to pass legislation that creates voter registration barriers and limits access to the polls. Unfortunately, that effort continues in 2012. Many of these new laws require voters to provide photo ID at the polls, mandate proof of citizenship before registering to vote, and place severe restrictions on third party voter registration drives. Join us for more on these issues and how you can educate your constituents about the changes, as well as ideas for helping to counter them.

Featured Presenter: Ben Hovland is a Senior Attorney with the Fair Elections Legal Network.

NAACP Reports on "Block the Vote" Efforts

The NAACP recently produced a report, "Defending Democracy: Confronting Modern Barriers to Voting Rights in America," that contextualizes the emergence of recent "block the vote" measures and explains their potential effects.

The report examines a slew of legislative proposals, ballot initiatives, and voting laws that have been enacted or proposed: 14 states have passed 25 measures designed to restrict or limit ballot access, including new and enhanced voter identification requirements, provisions that curtail access to voter registration, limits on registration drives, and reduced voting periods.

Unfortunately, many of these restrictions will disproportionately affect the populations that nonprofits serve, particularly minorities, low-income voters, the elderly, and young people.

But most importantly, the report offers ideas for how to counter these efforts and expand access to our democracy by:

1. Informing yourself about voting laws and how they affect you.
2. Equipping your community with the information needed to ensure that all eligible voters are able to successfully cast a ballot.
3. Practicing “Each One, Bring One” by bringing an eligible first-time voter, or returning voter who otherwise might not vote, with you when you vote on Election Day.
4. Volunteering to serve as a poll worker, monitor, or translator who assists voters on Election Day.
5. Taking action to urge your elected officials to fight these restrictive election laws.

Read the report, and join our February webinar "States Move to Restrict Voting: How Nonprofits Can Defend the Right to Vote" to learn more.

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ID Requirements Pose Challenge for Elderly

A recent article from KansasReporter.org described the situation of 50 residents at Westview Manor, a Kansas adult care facility. Due to the state's new voter identification requirements, the vast majority could be unable to vote in this year's election.

Only 9 residents have current ID cards and just two have birth certificates that can be used to obtain an ID card. That leaves more than 35 currently registered voters without sufficient ID. Without identification, these individuals will be unable to cast a ballot.

The Executive Director of the Westview Manor noted that the residents "don't go shopping on the Internet. They don't use credit cards. They don't have drivers' licenses. They have $62 a month spending money, which makes it very difficult to spend $27 for birth certificate."

Westview Manor residents aren't the only ones who will be left out if they cannot get ID. In addition to the elderly, minorities, young people, and low-income voters are also less likely to have the necessary ID.

Kansas' ID requirement is new this year and was passed by the state legislature in 2011. Starting January 1, 2013, voters will also be required to prove citizenship before registering to vote. However, the Kansas Secretary of State is asking legislators to move up the implementation date to June 15.

Nearly 149,000 new Kansas voters registered in the four months preceding the 2008 presidential election, and 6,200 new voters registered each month in 2011, according to election statistics from the Secretary of State's office. We'll have to wait and see how the new ID requirements affect the 2012 registration and turnout statistics.

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2012 Webinar Series Schedule

The general election will be here before you know it, so to help you prepare we're hosting a webinar every month until November. We'll cover a variety of voter engagement topics to ensure you know how to conduct registration drives, educate voters, and get out the vote--all while staying nonpartisan! Remember, our webinars are free for 501(c)(3) organizations and will be available on our YouTube channel.

See the full webinar lineup for 2012.

New and Updated Factsheets

To help you prepare for this year's election, we've updated and expanded our factsheet series! In addition to information on 501(c)(3) permissible activities and working with candidates, we have new factsheets on:

• Election Day Registration, explaining what it is, which states have it, and how it helps voters keep their registration current.
• Expanding Voter Registration Opportunities, discussing advances in online voter registration and pre-registration that streamline the registration process and make it more accessible.
• The National Voter Registration Act, describing the role of public assistance agencies that are required to offer voter registration to clients.

Visit our full factsheet library to learn more about these and other topics, including state voting laws for ex-offenders, ballot measure advocacy, and what nonprofit staff can do on and off the clock.

Yesterday's Webinar Materials

Thank you to everyone who joined yesterday's webinar, Plan Ahead: Building a Voter Engagement Timeline for 2012! If you have additional questions for our featured presenter, Jeff Narabrook of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, you can contact him directly at jnarabrook@minnesotanonprofits.org.

The webinar is now available on YouTube along with our other past webinars. Subscribe to the channel and you'll be informed whenever new content is available! You can also download the PowerPoint presentation and the audio portion of the presentation.

Below are some of the materials and resources mentioned during the webinar:

• Information about voting in your state. 
• Information about voter registration in your state. 
• Project Vote's state voter registration guides for select states. 

You can also visit our website to find other voter engagement resources and materials. Good luck with making your 2012 plan!

RSVP Now for Thursday's Webinar!

There's still time to register for Thursday's webinar! With 2012 underway, it's important for your nonprofit to think about how you plan to register, educate, and engage voters. Join us for:

Plan Ahead: Building a Voter Engagement Timeline for 2012
Thursday January 26th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

In this webinar we'll discuss when, where and how to incorporate voter engagement activities into your work. We'll also help you develop and tailor a 2012 voter engagement timeline for your organization. Don't miss this opportunity to start building your 2012 voter engagement plan!

Featured Presenter: Jeff Narabrook is the Public Policy Associate at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. Jeff leads their voter participation efforts as director the Minnesota Participation Project.

Connecticut Looks to Expand Registration Opportunities

On Monday, Connecticut Governor Malloy and Secretary of State Merrill held a press conference where they called for preserving and expanding access to voter registration.

The governor is proposing legislation that would allow for online registration (with a valid and current driver's license), Election Day Registration, and for absentee ballots to be governed by statute—giving legislators the power to adopt laws that address voters who cannot get to the polls on Election Day. The proposed legislation would also increase penalties on any effort to block or impede voter access.

In addition to helping voters register more easily, these reforms can help the state make registration more efficient and keep a more accurate voter file. Secretary Merrill noted that "Many states have already made these reforms and by taking these important steps forward we can include a younger generation of voters and expand participation in our democracy."

The proposals will be introduced for the legislative session beginning in February. Hopefully they can be passed and adopted quickly. Whatever the result, cheers to Connecticut for looking to expand voter registration opportunities!

January Webinar: Making a 2012 Plan

With 2012 underway, it's important for your nonprofit to think about how you plan to register, educate, and engage voters. Join us for:

Plan Ahead: Building a Voter Engagement Timeline for 2012
Thursday January 26th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

In this webinar we'll discuss when, where and how to incorporate voter engagement activities into your work. We'll also help you develop and tailor a 2012 voter engagement timeline for your organization. Don't miss this opportunity to start building your 2012 voter engagement plan!

Featured Presenter: Jeff Narabrook is the Public Policy Associate at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. Jeff leads their voter participation efforts as director the Minnesota Participation Project.

Partner Spotlight: National Council of Nonprofits

The National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) supports nonprofit voter engagement efforts and believes that all nonprofits "have a right and a duty to be part of the electoral process"--particularly this year.

NCN seeks to advance the role, capacity, and voice of nonprofit organizations through state and national networks, which is one of the reasons NCN partners with Nonprofit VOTE. Together, we and our partners can utilize our networks to effectively coordinate efforts and disseminate information about best practices.

NCN--the largest network of nonprofits in the United States--encourages its partners and affiliates to learn about 501(c)(3) nonpartisan requirements and to engage their communities. This can be done by educating candidates or helping the people you serve register and vote. After all, the people we elect will decide significant policies that can either help or harm the communities our nonprofits serve. Follow NCN's lead and voterize your nonprofit!

Increasing Voter Participation One Nonprofit at a Time

Most of your New Year's Resolutions are already set (and maybe even broken), but we have one more that can't wait until next year.

In 2012 we'll elect the president, 33 U.S. senators, every member of the House of Representatives, and countless others in state and local races. 220 million Americans will be eligible to vote--including over 25 million young people and new citizens eligible for the first time. But who will turnout?

Voter turnout will be the key, not just to who wins, but to what voters and which communities are heard after Election Day. In 2010, six of ten eligible voters stayed home, and a disproportionate number were younger and lower income individuals.

Nonprofits can change that. Our sector is a powerful civic force whose status as trusted messengers and daily contact with millions of Americans has the potential to reach and engage large underrepresented populations. We are more than one million nonprofits strong and with your help the sector can close participation gaps and encourage everyone to become a voter in 2012.

So when your organization sets its 2012 priorities, make sure that voter engagement is one of them. Although your nonprofit might struggle with shrinking budgets and increased demand for services, you must still resolve to voterize your organization. Whatever challenges your nonprofit faces, voting is part of the solution. Start planning today.

Voter engagement can take a variety of forms: you can register voters, educate your clients and constituents about the voting process, or take a stand on a ballot measure. Voter engagement doesn't have to be complicated. But you have to do something.

In 2012, we will leave no nonprofit and no voter behind. Let's give nonprofits and our communities a seat at the table of democracy this November and beyond.

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