2008/2009 VOTE Project

The 2008 / 2009 Voter Organizing, Training, and Empowerment (VOTE) Project kicked off in January 2008 with 12 organizations from Oregon, Washington, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming.  The VOTE Project provides support, training, and technical assistance as these groups register and educate voters, boost capacity and build leadership among members, and define and lead policy issues critical to their communities.

VOTE Project organizations have met three times, in February, June, and July, for skills building, work planning, and information sharing.  Together, VOTE Project groups have registered over 10,000 new voters and engaged hundreds of volunteers.  With the election right around the corner, VOTE Project groups are hard at work to reach the goal of 143,500 voter contacts – all the while looking beyond November to upcoming legislative advocacy and grassroots organizing.

Building off of the success of the first Base Building Project, which worked with six community based organizations in Oregon and Washington for over 18 months, in June 2007 the RACE program began its work with another six community based organizations led by and serving communities of color in Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. Participating Organizations include: Center for Intercultural Organizing (Portland, OR),Oregon Action (Portland, OR), Seattle Young People’s Project (Seattle, WA), Unete (Medford, OR), VOZ Workers Rights Education Project (Portland, OR), and Wind River Alliance (Ethete, WY).