We build young people’s political power by organizing year-round. After Alliance network organizations turned out young voters in record-breaking numbers last November, they got right back to work. They built programs to engage those young voters and ensure elected officials are passing policies that align with our values. This meant that organizations hit the ground running in January and have not stopped since. Here are just a few ways the Alliance Network has been organizing their communities in 2021.
Pushing Progressive Policy
- Chicago Votes and Next Up (Oregon) are both leading legislation that would restore voting rights to people in prison. Both organizations have also teamed up to advocate for each other’s legislation and share learnings on social media. Watch their latest IG Live here →
- Mississippi Votes is also leading efforts in the state to restore voting rights for all formerly incarcerated citizens who have served their prison term. Learn more about the report they just released with partners here.
- New Era Colorado is the organizing force behind legislation that would protect private loan borrowers from predatory loan servicers.
- Next Up is leading legislation that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections in Oregon.
- The Washington Bus is championing a bill that would allow those who have committed a felony and are out of jail to get their voting rights immediately restored.
- Virginia Student Power Network helped powered the campaign to pass a Tuition Equity Bill, allowing undocumented students access to state-based financial aid. After the Governor signs this legislation, it will become law!
Blocking Harmful Legislation
- Forward Montana and partners stopped a devastating anti-trans bill that would have barred medical professionals from providing gender-affirming healthcare to minors.
- MOVE Texas is organizing to block legislation that would ban drive-through outdoor voting, discourage volunteers from driving the elderly to polling places, mandate voter roll purges that would disqualify many eligible voters, and if you can believe it, more (SOB).
- New Hampshire Youth Movement and partners successfully blocked legislation that would have prevented people from voting in New Hampshire if they maintained a domicile address in another state, forbid students from registering to vote at their college address, and prohibit the use of a college ID as a voter ID. Major win for the student vote in New Hampshire!
Keeping Elected Officials Accountable
- Forward Montana has launched a new series on Instagram called Hero and Villain of the week. In this series, they identify local legislators who are voting with the values of young people in Montana and those who are not. Head over to Forward Montana’s Instagram to catch up on every week’s picks!
- New Hampshire Youth Movement recently launched a Mean Girls-style Burn Book, NH Politics Edition, highlighting state legislators who refuse to denounce white supremacy. We think it is should be on the top of your summer reading list. Take a peek at their latest Burn Book edition on Instagram here.
Demystifying the Legislative Process
Alliance network organizations are creating newsletters, podcasts, IG Lives, and more to break down the complicated state legislative process and make contacting legislators as accessible as possible. Here are a few of our favorites:
Chicago Votes | Sh*t Talk
Forward Montana | What the Helena
Loud Light | Weekly Kansas Statehouse Recap Videos
MOVE Texas | WTF TX Lege
Next Up | Back to Basics
Providing Resources and Support
MOVE Texas took immediate action to provide support and vital information to people affected by devastating blackouts due to extreme cold weather. They mobilized over 100 volunteers to contact 70,298 Texans and connect them with emergency resources.