Project Vote Files NVRA Suit in Georgia

One of the reasons we encourage nonprofits to register their clients and constituents to vote is because many states are not fully compliant with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which requires public agencies to register voters.

Recently, successful lawsuits in both Ohio and Missouri forced compliance and caused the number of voters registering at public agencies to balloon. In Ohio in the first six months of 2010 more than 100,000 low-income residents registered to vote at public assistance offices. That number (17,000 applications per month) is almost a ten-fold increase in the number of registration applications collected at public assistance offices before the lawsuit (1,775 per month). In Colorado, officials brought the state into compliance without a lawsuit, and as a result public agency registrations increased from just over 3,300 in 2007 to nearly 44,000 in 2010.

However, last month Project Vote and other groups filed a lawsuit in Georgia to require the state to properly implement the NVRA. The Georgia secretary of state has acknowledged that they "did not have consistent NVRA policies," because when the law first took effect, they received more than 100,000 voter registration applications, but in 2010, the number of was just 4,430. Earlier this year Project Vote and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund filed a similar suit in Louisiana.

While many states are taking care to ensure that public agencies are reaching eligible voters (or being forced to), it is still not enough. Many of the individuals who use public assistance are underrepresented and underserved, and are less likely to participate in the political process. Nonprofits can help close this gap: in addition to voter registration, your organization can also educate voters, engage candidates, and conduct get-out-the-vote activities in an effort to cultivate a robust civil society. Learn more about how your nonprofit can ensure that your community is engaged and represented!

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Nonprofit Advocacy Impacts Southern States

A new study by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy found that advocacy by nonprofit organizations in four Southern states brought more than $4.7 billion in benefits to low-wage workers, families, and other underserved populations. The study analyzed the impact of 20 advocacy and community organizing groups in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi between 2005 and 2009.

The study found that for every dollar invested in the policy and civic engagement of the organizations, there was a return of $114 in benefits to local communities. Yes, you read that correctly--$114 for every $1. So in case you were wondering if your hard work on advocacy campaigns and voter engagement outreach was paying off, the answer is a resounding "Yes!"

Congratulations to our state and national partners working in those areas--like the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO) and the Mississippi Center for Nonprofits--as well as all the local nonprofits for their contributions to the region!

Read the full study "Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in the Gulf/Midsouth Region."

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The Census Releases New Data

...and it doesn't bring good news for New Orleans. Last week, the Census Bureau released new data showing that New Orleans experienced a population loss of 140,845 residents--a drop of 29% from 2000. In addition to losing New Orleans city residents, Louisiana also lost a congressional seat (down to six from seven).

Because of the exodus in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the percentage of black population fell to 60.2% from 67.3%. Jacques Morial, a community organizer, thinks that "The city is more affluent, more Latin and a little whiter than it was before Katrina." Many poor residents have stayed away because fewer than a quarter of the city's 4,200 public housing units demolished by the storm have been rebuilt. "The people who've had the hardest time getting back to New Orleans are those who had the fewest resources," said Tom Piazza, author and city resident.

In addition to Louisiana, the Census Bureau also released data for Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia because their election cycles are among the earliest. Check out the latest Census widget below for more details.



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Louisiana BOE begins Voter Registration and Voter Education week

The Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office is pushing statewide public service announcements this week as Louisiana’s annual Voter Registration and Voter Education week gets under way.

The Secretary of State’s office says it will be using the week to remind voters of the importance of accurate voter registration and of major changes going into effect this year, such as closed congressional primaries. Registration drives are also being held in Caddo and Bossier Parishes.

“It’s gonna be a confusing election,” said Secretary of State Press Secretary Jacques Berry.

Read more.