Uniting young people.
Growing an unstoppable movement.
We are Building a Movement
Of Young
People
We bring millions of young people together to engage in our democracy as voters, organizers, and leaders to make the world more just, more sustainable, and just more awesome.
By Young
People
We develop tomorrow’s leaders by empowering them to lead today. Our local organizations are run top to bottom by young people. Our national team answers to those young locals, because supporting each other gets the work done.
For All
People
We transform our voting systems so that they work for every American citizen. We drive innovative economic policies that put more money in the pockets of regular people. We fight for justice, democracy, and sustainability. And we win
Our Values in Action
We want to create a world where our democracy works for everyone and where all people – no matter where they come from, what they look like, or how they identify – live in loving, safe, and thriving communities. And we believe that when young people lead to create the world we want to see, we all win.
Our network hustles to ensure young people’s voices are heard and their power is flexed on the local, state, and national levels in nearly 20 states to drive civic participation up and down the ballot.
After we turn out young voters, we turn right around to pass innovative and progressive policies that put people first. Over the years, youth-led Alliance organizations have championed policies across the nation that continue to build political power for all people. From mobilizing young voters to passing innovative policy, we are building a future for all of us.
The best of Alliance vote mobilization
National Voter Registration Day
3,000,000+
VOTERS REGISTERED
Our sister organization the Alliance for Youth Organizing co-founded National Voter Registration Day, which has registered nearly 3 million people to vote since 2012.
On-the-ground Voter Registration Drives
595,285
VOTERS REGISTERED
Our sister organization the Alliance for Youth Organizing has run on-the-ground voter registration drives that have added 385,895 young people to the rolls in key states since 2008.
Voting Innovation
The American Voter Guide
Distributed over 3 million voter guides from key elections from the 2016 to the 2020 election
Election Protection Text Message Hotline
Helped hundreds of thousands of young voters find their polling places & work through voting problems over SMS
Parades to the Polls
Created by Chicago Votes, led drum corps-accompanied parades to the polls
Adding polling sites
Protecting and adding polling sites on college campuses critical to youth voter turnout
Student Voter Day
Held in concert with college administrators and county election offices, to bring early vote sites on campus.
Candidate forums
Hosting the coolest and most informative candidate forums in town specifically designed to engage young voters.
This Stuff Works
In 2016, young voters New Era Colorado worked with turned out at a rate of 82%, compared to just 60% for their registered peers statewide.
Since 2018, MOVE Texas has registered over 100,000 young people to vote and has seen a 600% increase in youth voter turnout from 2016 to 2020.
The greatest hits of Alliance policy wins
Leading a diverse coalition to pass America’s First Automatic Voter Registration Law.
Led by the Next Up and followed by Chicago Votes, New Era Colorado, and the Washington Bus
Passed the Colorado Votes Act, which implemented a ton of new measures to make voting more accessible, and allowed 17 year olds who will turn 18 by the time of an election vote!
Led by New Era Colorado
Passed legislation that implemented paid postage on mail ballots in Oregon so voters no longer have to worry about stamps when voting.
Led by Next Up
Winning Online and Election Day Voter Registration around the country.
Led by New Era Colorado, the Next Up Oregon, and Chicago Votes, and the Washington Bus
Passing legislation to make Cook County Jail the first jail in the country to become an official polling location
Led by Chicago Votes
Removing all law enforcement from Milwaukee Public Schools creating safer environments for students.
Led by Leaders Igniting Transformation
The Origin Story
Back in the day, the Alliance for Youth Action was called the Bus Federation.
It began as grassroots young people’s organizations united to support each other, raise resources together, and learn from each other’s best ideas. Our earliest affiliates named the national network after one of their earliest shared programs – “Bus Trips” taken to knock on doors for progressive causes. As our network pivoted into winning national issue campaigns and supporting locally rooted youth organizing everywhere, we found a new identity to match our newer, bigger mission…and “the Alliance” was born!