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Nonprofit Organizations:Leaders in Civic Engagement & Voter Participation

Description

Nonprofit Organizations:Leaders in Civic Engagement & Voter Participation

Voting is a foundation and sign of strong communities. Voting correlates with citizenship, education, income and other kinds of civic health. It takes an active and engaged public to ensure broad representation and public officials responsive to community concerns. Today, our democracy is challenged by widening gaps in voter participation by age, income and education. Younger, lower-income and less educated voters participate at much lower rates than older, higher income or better educated voters. These gaps lead to other disparities in involvement with government or public policy and other kinds of civic participation. Many issues affect participation. Sometimes all that is needed is voter education on the process of voting and what is at stake in a particular election. In other cases, it is about how voting rights issues or procedural barriers disproportionately impact newer voters and less enfranchised populations.

Nonprofit organizations are uniquely well suited to address issues of voter participation—and help close participation gaps and strengthen democracy:

• Nonprofit organizations are often located in and serve communities impacted most by lower voter participation.
• Nonprofit organizations bring to bear a group of individuals strongly dedicated to changing their communities for the better and with the ability to make positive change.
• Nonprofit organizations, as much as any other type of organization, have the credibility and respect necessary to reach out to discouraged or disengaged voters or people new to voting and politics.
• Many nonprofits wish to incorporate voter participation work into their other activities but have been uncertain about what the law allows them to do. This guide answers questions on what they can do to encourage voter participation through outreach and education to voters in their communities.

This guide was created by Nonprovite Vote

Category: Civic Participation, Civil Rights, Democracy Reform, GOTV, Legal, News, Organizing, Training, Voter Education

Attachment: guide.pdf

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