Deeper dive into the  RECLAIM OUR VOTE campaign.

Why do we need this campaign? Community of color voters are being placed on “Inactive” or “Unregistered” lists at a 16% higher rate than whites. Learn more about this campaign here. The ability to vote of people in minority communities was already being systematically undermined over the last decade, by the imposition of strict new voter ID laws, by the reduction in polling places and early voting, and through many other tactics.

Some history: In June of 2018 the Center for Common Ground (in conjunction with the NAACP, Black Voters Matter, Carpool Vote and other organizations) launched and spearheaded the Reclaim Our Vote 2018 campaign: a six-month, volunteer-driven, nonpartisan effort to reach out to voters of color in states such as Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, Texas and Mississippi—states with a long and ugly history of voter suppression. They helped increase African American voter turnout in the rural counties of Alabama by approximately 35%. Even before their official launch, in Virginia and Alabama in 2017, they were achieving clear results in the form of a significantly increased turnout by voters of color in the Virginia statewide elections and the Alabama special election between Senate candidates Doug Jones and Roy Moore.

How can we RECLAIM OUR VOTE in 2019? The campaign is seeking to expand their volunteer base and increase their impact in states where significant off-year and special elections are taking place (Virginia, North Carolina, Mississippi), or where “Unregistered” voters-of-color numbers are particularly high (Texas, Colorado, Arizona). Volunteers helping to write postcards is a great help.

What would happen if more people voted? (NYTimes) “Many political scientists say that policies that make voting easier would also make American democracy more representative and less likely to favor the interests of wealthier, older and white voters who typically turn out at higher rates. Broader participation, proponents say, could ease polarization, lift faith in government and dampen criticism that politicians representing the views of a minority of Americans wield the majority of power in Washington.”