More Victories to Come
Last month marked many turning points – the escalation of the health care debate, the passing of a pop star, the first day of summer. At the Center, we are celebrating the smashing success of our third VOTE (Voter Organizing, Training & Empowerment) Project.
The 12 organizations we worked with registered over 34,000 new voters, contacted nearly 200,000 registered voters, and won ballot measures fights across the region. They organized over 2,000 volunteers and community leaders to accomplish these goals. It was 18 months of hard work that really paid off and will continue to pay off for years to come.
This month, we are excited to start our fourth VOTE Project with these twelve groups:
Basic Rights Oregon
CAUSA (Oregon)
Equality State Policy Center (Wyoming)
Idaho Community Action Network
Montana Human Rights Network
Montana Women Vote
Oregon Student Association
Partnership for Safety and Justice (Oregon)
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada
Rural Organizing Project (Oregon)
Statewide Poverty Action Network (Washington)
Win/Win Network (Washington)
This new VOTE cycle, the Center is collaborating with Social Justice Fund Northwest in Civic Action: Delivering on Change, a new grants program to build on the momentum of recent voter organizing efforts. In addition to the funding, training and support that the Center is providing through the VOTE Project, Social Justice Fund will give the nine groups in its funding region (Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming) grants of $20,000 a year for two years, as well as funding for the Center to gather these groups.
Western States Center believes that a movement-building approach to electoral work starts with a “year-in, year-out” model, engaging members and volunteers not just during elections but in-between elections. Through the VOTE Project groups will receive support, training, and technical assistance to educate and register voters, boost capacity and build leadership among members, and shape policies critical to their communities.
