WASHINGTON – Last week America Votes celebrated its 20th anniversary and launched the organization’s 2024 voter engagement and mobilization program at the 15th annual America Votes State Summit. 

Over the past 20 years, America Votes has grown from a small organization focused on coordinating voter engagement around the 2004 Presidential election into a center of gravity for the progressive movement that leads a diverse coalition of more than 400 partner organizations in 24 states, including the battleground states that will decide the 2024 Presidential race. 

America Votes plans to run the organization’s largest ever voter mobilization program in 2024, and the record-breaking attendance at this year’s State Summit showed that the coalition is energized to achieve this goal. This year’s Summit brought together nearly 2,000 political strategists, progressive leaders, and grassroots organizers to discuss best practices for voter education and mobilization, craft state-based strategies for issue advocacy and electoral campaigns, and align on priorities in the fight to protect democracy and expand voting rights. 

 “While our strategies have evolved and our coalition has grown, America Votes’ core values have stayed the same. Since day one, we have focused on engaging voters to build the political power needed to implement good, progressive policies at every level – from city hall to Washington D.C.,” said America Votes President Greg Speed. “Since 2016, voters have rejected MAGA extremism again and again, up and down the ballot. We have set an ambitious voter mobilization goal for the 2024 campaign, and the State Summit showed that we have the large, energized coalition we need to meet it. Working together, we will once again  engage and mobilize voters to defend against the threats to our rights and our democracy. ” 

“Over the past 20 years, America Votes has cultivated an unparalleled network of organizations working together to build progressive power. I am especially proud of the diversity of our coalition, with leaders who represent voters of color, young people, LGBTQIA+ voters, and many other historically marginalized groups not only getting a seat at the table, but also receiving meaningful opportunities to lead and craft strategy,” said Daria Dawson, America Votes Executive Director. “The strength of our coalition was on full display this week, as diverse leaders from across the country came together to learn from and inspire one another. Now it is time to put our plans into motion. In the coming months, we will execute our largest ever voter engagement campaign to protect voting rights and mobilize voters to support candidates who will stand up to attacks on our democracy.” 

America Votes was founded to coordinate outside spending on media, voter contact, and field engagement around the 2004 Presidential election. Since then, the organization has grown significantly. The America Votes coalition now encompasses more than 400 organizations, including large national organizations like Planned Parenthood, Somos Votantes, the NAACP, and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), as well as hundreds of state-level partners. More than two thirds of the America Votes coalition are groups that represent communities of color. 

As the coalition has grown, so has the scope of America Votes’ work. The organization now works on elections up and down the ballot, from local races to high-profile national contests, and supports year-round advocacy efforts to expand voting rights and protect democracy. America Votes has played a key role in passing pro-voter reforms across the country, including no-reason absentee voting and same-day voter registration in Michigan, automatic voter registration in Nevada, and restoration of voting rights for justice-involved individuals in Florida.

Since 2016, America Votes has emerged as a critical shield against MAGA extremism. In 2020, the America Votes coalition delivered over one billion coordinated voter contact attempts across the most critical states, with a focus on historically underrepresented communities. America Votes built on this impact during the 2022 midterms  with the organization’s largest ever midterm voter mobilization program, knocking 26 million doors to drive record midterm turnout in many swing states, including Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. 

Last year, America Votes played a key role in flipping the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and America Votes coalition partners knocked on more than 3.6 million doors to secure victories for Democrats in Virginia and Kentucky, as well as a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights in Ohio. 

America Votes Partners on the Organization’s Impact over the Past 20 Years

“Our democracy will only advance if we continue to exercise our voices through our votes. The NAACP is proud to cheer on our longstanding partner, America Votes as they celebrate their 20th anniversary,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson. “Over the last two decades, America Votes has served as a mobilizing force, and our collaborative efforts have helped propel our nation forward. As we embark on a new decade, the NAACP remains committed to cultivating pivotal partnerships like this one. Together, we’ll make sure democracy works for everybody.” 

“In our collective fight to shape the future of our democracy, America Votes has been the bedrock of our struggle, our wins and our ever growing potential,” said Melissa Morales, Founder and President for Somos Votantes, the largest independent Latino voter engagement programs in the country. “Today, as America Votes celebrates its 20th anniversary, we reaffirm our commitment to that collective fight. Felicidades, we can’t wait to see what more is possible in the next 20 years.”

“Over the past two decades, America Votes has done critical work organizing and mobilizing voters across the country and Senate Majority PAC is proud to consider this esteemed organization a close partner. There is no question this partnership has played a major role in our successful efforts to win back and hold a Democratic majority in the Senate – a majority that has lowered prescription drug costs for seniors, barred Republican efforts to enact a national abortion ban, massively invested in American infrastructure, and brought the American economy back from the brink after a global pandemic,” said Senate Majority PAC President JB Poersch. “Sincerest congratulations to America Votes on reaching this milestone. I’m confident in the years ahead, America Votes’ impact will only grow as they continue elevating Democratic voices to make a difference.”

“America Votes has been a trusted and valued partner in winning House races across the country, and their voter engagement operation will be crucial as we work to take back the House in November,” said Abby Curran Horrell, House Majority PAC Executive Director.  

“Over the last two decades, America Votes has showcased remarkable impact and dedication for the progressive movement,” NextGen America President Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez said. “NextGen America extends heartfelt appreciation to America Votes for their visionary leadership, innovative strategies, and collaborative spirit in our joint mission to empower a new generation of voters. As we head into the 2024 election cycle, we are excited to continue our mobilization efforts with America Votes as we engage young people across the country to build a government that represents the diverse needs and aspirations of our communities.”

“As we prepare for critical elections this November, we are grateful for the leadership and vision of our partners at America Votes,” said Sondra Goldschein, Executive Director of the Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy. “For 20 years, America Votes has worked with organizations around the country to engage voters, making sure they understand what’s at stake when they head to the polls. We are thrilled that Daria Dawson has taken the helm at America Votes and know that this year, with her steadfast leadership, the organization will fight harder than ever to elect candidates who will pass bold progressive policies that ensure working families have the tools and opportunities they need to thrive.” 

“America Votes has been an outstanding partner in supporting United We Dream Action’s civic engagement efforts, from connecting us to key national and state-level partners to coordinate on our collective electoral strategies to ultimately helping us reach voters with our pro-immigrant messaging. United We Dream Action is a political, electoral, and advocacy home for so many immigrant young people and young people of color in this country who are facing visceral threats against their lives, safety and futures. Our aim has always been to mobilize voters towards fighting for a more just future by centering immigrant young people’s lived experiences and sharing the stories of who immigrants really are. America Votes has created an instrumental bridge for our work to reach communities across the country who are eager to fight for immigrant justice,” said Michelle Ming, Political Director of United We Dream Action.

“The diverse coalition assembled by America Votes does the hard, necessary work of strengthening American democracy year in, year out,” said Shakya Cherry-Donaldson, founder and executive director of 1000 Women Strong, a national organizing hub for Black women. “This milestone is a testament to the powerful leadership of Daria Dawson and the hard work of the entire America Votes team. We’re honored to sit at their table.”

“We win on the doors. At the hospitality workers union UNITE HERE, we know that working class canvassers talking to working class voters is what is decisive in the closest and most consequential elections. It’s why we’ve built up the country’s largest labor led canvassing program. And America Votes knows it too. That’s why AV has been key to so many of those crucial victories. Coordination, strategy, resources, and movement-mindedness – never forgetting that it starts and ends with person-to-person contact on the doors. We’re proud of our partnership with AV, and ready for another 20 years of working together,” said Mario Yedidia, UNITE HERE National Field Director.

“Climate Reality Action Fund has been a proud partner of America Votes since 2009, during which time we have run successful voter participation and activation programs across the country,” said Phyllis Cuttino, Climate Reality Action Fund CEO. “It’s clear that the collaborative infrastructure, strategic vision, and financial investment America Votes provides its partners has been instrumental to the progress we’ve made on climate change over the last two decades. We congratulate America Votes, its leadership past and present, and its staff for their amazing work.  Here’s to 20 more years of wins!”

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About America Votes

America Votes is the coordination hub of the progressive community, coordinating more than 400 state and national partner organizations to create a fairer, more representative democracy by increasing voter participation across the country. For more information about America Votes, visit www.americavotes.org.