Updates from the States: Doubling Down in the Battlegrounds

(Taken from our July 17, 2024 newsletter: “Eff That Malarkey!”)

People always ask us: What are the groups on the ground who can win this election actually doing? For us, there is no greater source of grounded hope than this.

Here are updates from the battlegrounds:

Screenshot: KJZZ. “AZ’s largest Black-led voter engagement organization urges voting for Biden, Gallego.” July 10, 2024.

In Arizona, in part thanks to early funding from MVP, Our Voice Our Vote just launched their campaign to re-elect Biden and elect Ruben Gallego to the U.S. Senate, by knocking on 1 million doors to mobilize “New American Majority” voters, including young people, unmarried women, and people of color.

Asian American Advocacy Fund

In Georgia, the Asian American Advocacy Fund (AAAF) has launched its call for endorsement applications from local candidates, whom they will mobilize voters around as part of their push to elect Democrats and progressives up and down the ballot. AAAF plans to knock on 100,000 doors and make 1,000,000 phone calls, in addition to direct mail, ethnic media, digital outreach, voter education, relational organizing, and events. Their year-long voter engagement program includes deep canvassing; candidate ID to build name recognition and support for endorsed candidates; and GOTV from early vote through Election Day.

Michigan United Action (formerly Michigan People’s Campaign)

In Michigan, Michigan United Action (formerly Michigan People’s Campaign) has announced its candidate endorsements for the state’s August 6th primary races. By knocking doors, making calls, and holding events around the issues that matter most to their constituents like immigrant rights and healthcare, they are generating critical momentum for the general election final push that will run from August 7th through November 5th. Their 915,038-voter “target universe” focuses on “New American Majority” voters (voters of color, young voters, and unmarried women) who are low-propensity (and thus overlooked and underinvested in by candidate campaigns), likely Biden voters, and unregistered voters of color.

Make the Road Action Nevada

In Nevada, Make the Road Action has launched an “unprecedented” campaign to mobilize over 190,000 voters across the state, including a critical expansion from Las Vegas into Reno and nine rural communities, where they have identified a universe of 41,000 young and racially diverse voters who would otherwise have been overlooked. Thanks to early funding, they will be scaling their campaign team to 200 paid staff, ranging from grassroots canvassing and phone banking to digital outreach.

Advance Carolina tabling to assist young Black voters in navigating their student loans

In North Carolina, La Fuerza is registering and turning out new and infrequent Latine voters between the ages of 18-25 in urban counties. As part of mobilize them to vote for Democrats up and down the ballot, Advance Carolina is teaming up with Rise to give young Black voters hands-on assistance in navigating their student loans, while drawing the connection to who we elect into office. NCAATIA is organizing and mobilizing young AAPI and other voters of color at 53 campuses and high schools in 10 target counties. (Check out NCAATIA’s digital messaging for the gubernatorial race, against the extreme-right GOP candidate.)

API PA Votes at their first-ever local general member meeting in Philadelphia

In Pennsylvania, API PA Votes just had their first-ever local general member meeting in Philadelphia, bringing together constituents who will help form the backbone of their campaign to knock 500,000 doors across Philadelphia, the collar counties (Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, and Delaware), and Allegheny County, and make 4.5 million phone calls, including 15,000 calls to non-English speaking voters.

Voces de la Frontera Action, along with the Coalition to March on the RNC. Credit: Claudio Martinez

In Wisconsin, Voces de la Frontera Action and other partners are marching on the Republican National Convention – not to influence the GOP’s platform, but to very intentionally use this moment to galvanize their constituents and supercharge their push to get out the vote for Democrats up and down the ballot. For example, Voces’ 2024 canvass will target 18,211 doors (21,884 voters), with three passes between August 17 and October 22, focused on candidate persuasion and vote-by-mail. From October 23 to Election Day, Voces will knock on a subset of these doors with GOTV messaging, including same-day registration and vote tripling, a relational organizing tactic that asks voters to get three other people in their life to cast a ballot.