“If poor people voted in proportion to their numbers, a whole different national agenda could emerge. The Center for Community Change has the experience and vision to be a leader in this transformation.”

- Celinda Lake
Lake, Snell, Perry and Associates

The more than 23 million adult Americans who live in poverty have little voice in our democracy. Many vote infrequently or not at all. In 2000, voters living below the poverty line had a voter turn-out rate of 38%. Since the poor have little money or political clout, they can easily be – and usually are – written off by politicians. But if they decide to use the power of the ballot box, they can change the way this country works, for them and all of us.

The Community Voting Project (CVP) aims to play a major role in this sea change, starting with the 2004 election. Leading up to the election, CVP will register 115,000 new voters and mobilize 250,000 new and infrequent voters, emphasizing involvement of low-income immigrants and people of color. This work will be done in partnership with some of the country’s strongest and deepest community organizations.

The CVP is innovative. It funds and trains local groups to design projects based on their “close-to-the-ground” perspective; uses fresh, relevant messages that convince low-income people their vote matters; and, elevates issues through a potent combination of grassroots organizing plus events and media activity. At the same time, it promotes best practices and requires a high level of accountability from everyone involved.

“For the last four years, the Center has been our major national partner on economic justice organizing issues. Now the CVP will help us get concrete skills and resources so we can ensure that immigrant voters turn out and have a voice on what really matters to them.”

- Joshua Hoyt, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

The Community Voting Project is partnering with a variety of groups in these states, including immigrant and faith-based organizations, community groups, welfare and rural advocates, and social service providers. Each group selected for the CVP has a history of working collaboratively with the Center, demonstrates the capacity and commitment to undertake the project, represents a substantial low-income base, and is based in a location where anticipated media attention will help motivate new or infrequent voters to participate.

CVP Leadership Team

The Center for Community Change has assembled an outstanding team with a wealth of combined contacts, experience and savvy for the Community Voting Project.

Deepak Bhargava, the Center’s Executive Director, brings leadership and strategic vision that has helped the organization turn its assets into practical strategies to increase voter turnout.

Irma Palacios, Community Voting Project Director

Tim Anderegg, Community Voting Project Associate

The Center for Community Change

Since its founding in 1968, the Center for Community Change has strengthened the leadership, voice, and power of low-income communities nationwide to confront the vital issues of today and build the social movements of tommorrow. The Center is known for its historic role in building national and grassroots coalitions that led to the creation of the food stamps program, the enactment of the Community Reinvestment Act, and large-scale preservation of low-income housing. More recently (1999-2002), the Center’s National Campaign for Jobs and Income Support united more than 100 organizations from 40 states to achieve substantial federal policy gains including a refundable child tax credit and restored food stamp eligibility for thousands of immigrant households.