“Spreading Out The Vote” And Grassroots Investments Delivered Historic Victory
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 6, 2020
CONTACT
Sahil Mehrotra, smehrotra@americavotes.org
America Votes President Greg Speed released the following statement on Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris’ election to the White House:
“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be our nation’s next President and Vice President. This victory was achieved by a massive voter turnout, especially from Black voters in so many crucial cities and voters of color across the nation. America Votes and the coalition of progressive groups’ organizing and investment in grassroots voter contact was instrumental in mobilizing voters for this historic ticket in the highest turnout in over a century.
“This election was unlike any other – from the pandemic to the size and scope of the America Votes coalition effort. Across our state network, America Votes partners made over 500 million voter contact attempts, including knocking on over 11 million doors, making over 200 million phone calls, and sending over 130 million texts since June 1 — which drove voters to the polls at rates we have never seen before.
“Our coalition’s ‘Spread Out The Vote’ strategy was instrumental in recruiting millions of voters into voting by mail and early voting – including many youth and voters of color who voted early for the first time. This allowed voters to have their voices heard at the ballot box amidst a pandemic that has upended normal daily life and is disproportionately affecting communities of color across the nation.
“We’re proud of America Votes and our partners’ incredible efforts in making today a reality – and we celebrate the historic election of the nation’s first woman, first Black woman, and first Indian American woman to be Vice President.
“Furthermore, the electoral map shifted further blue with diverse, growing Sun Belt states like Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas all shifting several points since 2016. And the fiercely contested Midwestern blue wall was restored by several hundred thousand votes after a narrow 77,000 combined defeat in 2016.
“One takeaway is immediately clear: progressives are a bigger, stronger force in America than the Trump base. Our power comes from grassroots organizing by under-represented communities, including voters of color, young voters, and a multi-racial majority that showed up to defend democratic values.
“America Votes and our partners will soon be right back at the work of mobilizing voters for upcoming Georgia Senate runoffs to give Joe Biden and Kamala Harris the majorities they need to deliver results.
“Overall, this was not only an incredibly consequential victory for the next four years, but it points the way toward a better, more decent, and equitable America in the coming decade and beyond.”
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America Votes is the central coordination hub of the progressive community both nationally and in more than 20 states across the country, working with more than 400 state and national partner organizations to advance progressive policies, win elections and protect every American’s right to vote. Visit www.americavotes.org for more information.
America Votes Coordinates Allies To Reach More Voters Than Ever Before
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2, 2020
CONTACT
Sahil Mehrotra, smehrotra@americavotes.org
The day before the end of voting for the most consequential election in recent history, with nearly 100 million votes already cast, America Votes is in the final stage of coordinating a voter mobilization effort with hundreds of progressive partner groups in key states nationwide.
America Votes President Greg Speed said, “The unprecedented levels of absentee mail and early voting reflects the success of the ‘Spread Out The Vote’ strategy spearheaded by America Votes and its partners, and this weekend’s turnout effort—which continues into today and tomorrow—has seen an unprecedented effort to drive voters who have not yet cast ballots to the polls.”
GOTV updates from our state network:
- In Arizona, our partners are well on their way to make over 210,000 safe door knocks and 400,000 phone calls to mobilize those who haven’t yet cast ballots over the final four day GOTV period.
- State Highlight: Arizona has been an early leader in developing safe, contactless canvassing, recently featured by CBC News, as progressives in the state are energized at levels we have never seen.
- In Colorado, by the time polls close tomorrow evening, our partners will have made over 1.1 million phone calls and sent over 500,000 text messages to voters over the final four days before the election.
- State Highlight: Colorado is not only serving as a prime example of how to run an election smoothly by mail, but how universal vote by mail can expand turnout. At the pace ballots are being returned, the state is on track to be the first state to cross 80% turnout in U.S. history.
- In Florida, our partners are on track to have safely knocked on one million doors, made two million phone calls, and sent 2.5 million text messages over the final four day GOTV period.
- State Highlight: By the time the polls close on Election Day, we expect that our partners will have had over one million conversations with voters via safe door-to-door canvassing since October 1.
- In Georgia, a battleground with two U.S. Senate seats in addition to the presidential election, partners are on track to safely knock 250,000 doors, make over 1.5 million phone calls, and send 200,000 text messages over the final four day GOTV period.
- State Highlight: Partners worked with Get Your Booty To The Poll to produce innovative PSA videos about the importance of participating this year, targeted at more sporadic voters.
- In Maine, partners expect to knock on 50,000 doors, make over 350,000 phone calls, and send 150,000 text messages over the final four day GOTV period by the time polls close tomorrow night.
- State Highlight: Maine could have the first U.S. Senate race and first presidential electoral vote in history to be decided by later rounds of ranked-choice voting (RCV). RCV allows voters to rank their choices for federal office in order of preference. In 2018, Maine’s CD-2 race between Democrat Jared Golden and then-incumbent Republican Bruce Poliquin was the first U.S. House race decided by a later round of ranked-choice voting.
- In Michigan, our partners are well on their way to make over four million voter contact attempts through phones, doors, and texts—aiming to reach over 600,000 voters—over the four day GOTV period.
- State Highlight: The expansive voting rights reform measure passed in 2018 allowed for expanded, safer voting during the pandemic—including allowing no-excuse absentee voting in the state, and for the 40 days before an election.
- In Montana, when the final four GOTV period ends, we expect to see 45,000 doors knocked, 800,000 phone calls made, and 150,000 text messages sent to turn out voters from Saturday to Tuesday.
- State Highlight: Energy in the state has been like nothing we have seen before – with partners reporting a phone banker connecting to a voter who was in the ICU but had a plan to get her ballot and cast it before Election Day.
- In North Carolina, our partners will safely knock on over 200,000 doors, make close to one million phone calls, and send over 200,000 text messages—attempting to reach 1.2 million voters—in the last four days.
- In Nevada, we expect that partners will have made 125,000 safe door knocks, 700,000 phone calls, and sent 550,500 text messages during the final four days of the election.
- State Highlight: Our partners have found a way to keep energy high through innovative events including hosting a calvagata (horseback parade) to the polls last weekend.
- In New Hampshire, our partners are on track to make over 15,000 safe door knocks, 400,000 phone calls, and send 500,000 text messages during the final four days before the election.
- State Highlight: Partners like NextGen New Hampshire have made sure that student voters in New Hampshire are able to cast their ballots—including by launching school-specific informational text lines.
- In New Mexico, we expect over 150,000 phone calls and 4,000 safe door knocks made in the final four days.
- State Highlight: Together with our partners, we launched the first large-scale bilingual training, scripts, and live phone banks in the state—specifically recruiting volunteers who are able to seamlessly switch between English and Spanish depending on the voter’s preference. This effort has been able to make about 400,000 phone calls since launching.
- In Ohio, our partners plan on making over 1 million phone calls and sending over 1.2 million text messages over the final four GOTV period.
- State Highlight: Partners like the Ohio Women’s Alliance Action Fund, which is dedicated to engaging women, particularly women of color, have worked to expand the Ohio electorate. They met voters where they are at every possible turn—including virtually convening members and volunteers for a statewide summit and launching a video challenge where participants tag their friends and share why they’re voting.
- In Pennsylvania, our partners will have safely knocked over 250,000 doors, sent over 2 million text messages, and made 1.5 million phone calls over the final four GOTV period.
- State Highlight: PA has had a strong rollout of vote by mail, and Asian American and Pacific Islander voters have led the way with 50% of AAPI voters requesting a VBM ballot. This is in large part thanks to APIPA, a new organization who has been reaching out to these voters for the first time this cycle.
- In Wisconsin, we expect that by the end of tomorrow, our partners will have made at least 750,000 phone calls and sent 600,00 text messages over the four day GOTV period.
- State Highlight: Partners in the state have found new ways to conduct safe visibility and mobilization events in the states, including the Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance hosting a drive-in movie night about the importance of voting.
Tomorrow, as voting ends and counting begins, we will be working with our partners to make sure that every vote counts and that the outcome reflects the will of the people.
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America Votes is the central coordination hub of the progressive community both nationally and in more than 20 states across the country, working with more than 400 state and national partner organizations to advance progressive policies, win elections and protect every American’s right to vote. Visit www.americavotes.org for more information.