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DEMOCRACY FOR ALL

MassVOTE is rooted in this country’s historical struggles for racial equality over the past 200+ years, and initiated by the passing of the cornerstone civil rights legislation, the Voting Rights Acts of 1965. Our roots stem from those that worked to create and form a culture of civic participation among historically disenfranchised groups in underserved communities across the country. Today these communities comprise the “rising electorate” of Massachusetts, comprised of people of color, naturalized citizens, youth and low income voters.  Our Democracy for All program continues our work in promoting non-partisan voter education, engagement and participation in our democratic system.  Learn more about our program areas:

Integrated Voter Engagement (I.V.E)

 

As part of our ongoing effort to close the racial voter participation gap and build long-term capacity for civic engagement and grassroots organizing in Massachusetts, MassVOTE works in partnership with other organizations to build civic engagement capacity in communities of color, with the end goal of building democracy centered on racial equity. In partnership, we coach 35-50 organizers of color at almost 30 organizations on how to run effective field programs in communities of color every year. We develop trusted messengers to educate, mobilize, and organize voters in their own communities year-round. We democratize access to voter data and tools such as VAN and Hustle to ensure that grassroots organizations in communities of color have access to the same (or better) data and tools as candidate campaigns and partisan organizations. 

 

People of color made up 19.1% of eligible voters (Citizen Voting Age Population) but cast only 10.3% of all ballots in Massachusetts in 2018. This 46% statewide gap between potential power (share of the eligible electorate) and actual power (vote share) is much higher in many cities and counties in Massachusetts. As people of color move from historically redlined neighborhoods of Boston to Gateway Cities due to a combination of rising rents in Boston and home buying opportunities in Gateway Cities, we need to deepen the infrastructure for civic engagement and organizing in areas of the state that are experiencing population growth. This is essential as we prepare for redistricting at the state and federal levels in 2021 and at the local level in 2022. In order to do this work, we have launched five regional tables, called Democracy HUBS (Holistically Unified Blocs of Solidarity.)

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For more information, please email info@massvote.org. 

Workshops and Trainings:

 

MassVOTE trainings are designed to advance and support developing civic engagement ambassadors throughout with the hope that we all can support civic participation by educating and learning what is it takes to get out the vote. Areas our training and workshop cover are:  training and workshop consist of: 

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  • MassVOTE Why Voting Matters

  • Voter Access: Know your Rights

  • Voter Registration Process and Activation

  • Election Reform Legislation, Election Cycle and Current legislative priorities

  • Voter Engagement: Get Out the Vote Planning 

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For more information or to set up a training session, please email info@massvote.org 

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