Nearly fifty leading organizing, voter registration, and GOTV organizations from 14 states–including key battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin–sent a letter to President Biden today demanding he do whatever it takes to pass federal voting rights legislation. See the New York Times coverage of the letter here. The organizing capacity of these groups represent tens of millions of voter registrations, door-knocks, calls, and other key efforts for turnout and grassroots engagement.
Our organizations will continue to do everything we can so that all eligible voters in our states have the resources and opportunities to exercise their fundamental right to vote. However, our organizing capacity is not unlimited. We are facing a rising tide of voter suppression unlike anything we have seen. While grassroots efforts remain critical to ensuring fair and representative elections, so too is federal legislation to protect and preserve the rights of the constituencies we serve.
In your recent speech in Philadelphia, you said our democracy was currently facing its biggest test since the Civil War. Now, it’s up to you and Senate Democrats to meet the moment you so eloquently spoke of.
During the 2020 election, these groups reached out to tens of millions of voters including the New Georgia Project Action Fund knocking nearly 2 million doors; Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) and Chispa Arizona, a program of the League of Conservation Voters, knocking on 1 million doors and making 8 million phone calls; Pennsylvania Stand Up having more than 400,000 voter conversations; New Era Colorado registering almost 200,000 young voters; the Ohio Women’s Alliance Action Fund having over 900,000 conversations with voters; Move Texas Action Fund registering over 50,000 new youth voters and sending voter engagement mail to over 1.4 million people; and Down Home North Carolina having nearly 29,000 deep canvassing conversations.
Last month, over 500 state lawmakers sent a similar letter to Congressional leaders demanding action on legislation like the For the People Act, stating, “We are out of options. We need your help.”
Since January, 18 states have passed 30 new laws with new voting restrictions and hundreds more have been introduced. As Senate Democrats prepare to release compromise voting legislation, time is running out. The Senate and President Biden must do whatever is necessary, including reforming the filibuster, to protect the freedom to vote for all Americans, no matter their zip code.
The groups include:
603 Forward
AFSCME Council 5
All About the Ballots
Arizona AFL-CIO
Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC)
Black Voters Matter Fund
BlackPAC
CASE Action
Chispa Arizona
Citizen Action of Wisconsin
Clean Water Action
Cobalt
CWA Local 7019
Detroit Action
Down Home North Carolina
Florida Rising
Forward Montana
Kent Street Coalition
Land Stewardship Project
Leadership Matters MN
League of Women Voters New Hampshire
LUCHA Arizona
Maine People’s Alliance
Mi Familia Vota
Minnesota Youth Collective
Move Texas Action Fund
New Era Colorado
New Georgia Project Action Fund
New Hampshire Youth Movement
NH Postal Workers, American Postal Workers Union
Ohio Women’s Alliance Action Fund
OLÉ (Organizers in the Land of Enchantment)
One Colorado Education Fund
OPAWL – Building AAPI Feminist Leadership in Ohio
Pennsylvania Stands Up
Progress North
ProgressNow Colorado
Rights & Democracy New Hampshire
Rights & Democracy Vermont
Rural Arizona Engagement
Siembra NC
Sierra Club North Star Chapter
TakeAction Minnesota
Texas Organizing Project
The Voting Rights Action Group of the Dover Democratic Committee
VoProPros
Wisconsin Education Association Council
Wisconsin Working Families Party
Women Talk Black
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