America Votes Partner Organizations Are Putting Communities First in the Fight to Build Back Progressive Power

September 21, 2018

Contact: CONTACT: Emily Brown, ebrown@americavotes.org

FROM WISCONSIN TO MICHIGAN AND BEYOND, AMERICA VOTES ALLIES ARE FOCUSING ON GRASSROOTS ENGAGEMENT TO MOVE COMMUNITIES FORWARD

WithElection Day fewer than 50 days away, America Votes is releasing the second installment of Spotlight 2018, a series of blog posts highlighting the work partners are doing across America Votes’ 22-state network during this critical midterm year. The article, which can be read here, focuses on partner efforts to use grassroots engagement to move communities forward, with relational voter programs in Wisconsin and congregation-based organizing in Michigan.

“Relational voter programs allow activists to reach out to people in their community who may not otherwise be involved in the political process and have a real conversation about why an election or issue matters to them,” said America Votes Wisconsin Political and Field Director Mike Pfohl. “Many America Votes Wisconsin partners will be running relational voter programs in 2018, but they also see RVP as a year-round approach to engage with their activists in a dialogue, not just a short-term electoral outreach technique.”

“America Votes Michigan Partner MOSES Action’s congregation-based organizing is a great example of distributive canvass work because their model is really empowering congregations to take the ball and run with it,” said America Votes Michigan Program Director Jessica Newman. “What’s important is coming in with the humility and understanding that these are organizations that know their communities like the back of their hand. They don’t need anyone coming in and telling them what the issues are.”

###

America Votes is the coordination hub of the progressive community working with more than 400 national and state partners to advance progressive policies, win elections and protect every American’s right to vote.