Voter Advocacy Organizations
The American Association of People with Disabilities. National Disability Voter Registration Week. https://www.aapd.com/advocacy/voting/; https://www.aapd.com/advocacy/voting/national-disability-voter-registration-week/, Rev Up Campaign helps people with disabilities register to vote. (July).
American Constitution Society Voting Rights Projects https://www.acslaw.org/get-involved/volunteer-opportunities/voting-rights-projects/ helps young people get preregistered to vote.
Andrew Goodman Foundation https://andrewgoodman.org/ amplifies young voices in our democracy, based in Mahwah, NJ.
Arsalyn Youth Forums www.arsalyn.org encourages young Americans to become informed and active participants in the electoral process.
Black Youth Vote! www.ncbcp.org, an initiative of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, trains 18-35 year old black youth to influence public policy.
Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School brennancenter.org works to craft and advance reforms that will make American democracy work for all, including voting rights.
Preparing Your State for an Election Under Pandemic Conditions https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/preparing-your-state-election-under-pandemic-conditions. 50-state breakdown of state policies in place and still needed in order to best protect voters from the Covid-19 pandemic.
How to Protect the 2020 Vote from the Coronavirus https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/policy-solutions/how-protect-2020-vote-coronavirus. Planning guide to ensure the 2020 elections are free, fair, accessible and secure.
Campaign Legal Center campaignlegalcenter.org fights to our democracy in the areas of campaign finance, voting rights, redistricting and ethics.
Campus Election Engagement Project http://campuselect.org/voter-education/candidate-issue-guides/; https://compact.org/initiatives/campus-vote-home/; https://campuselect.org/ provides voter education materials for state and national elections specifically designed for faculty, staff, and students at colleges and universities.
Campus Vote Project. https://www.campusvoteproject.org/. Works with universities, community colleges, faculty, students and election officials to reduce barriers to student voting.
Center for Civic Design. https://civicdesign.org/ sees democracy as a design problem solved by ensuring voter intent through design, with a goal to make every interaction between government and citizens easy, effective, and pleasant.
Center for Election Innovation and Research. https://electioninnovation.org/ ensures elections are secure, voters have confidence in election outcomes, and democracy thrives as civic engagement grows.
CIRCLE www.civicyouth.org conducts, collects, and funds research on the civic and political participation of young Americans.
Common Cause commoncause.org and its Common Cause Education Fund https://www.commoncause.org/education-fund/ advocates for and conducts research, public education and innovative programs in support of pro-democracy reforms that break down barriers to participation, ensures equal voice and voting rights, and rebuild trust in government.
Demos demos.org advocates for voting rights and litigates against voter suppression.
FairVote fairvote.org champions electoral reforms that give voters greater choice, a stronger voice, and a representative democracy that works for all Americans.
Institute for Democracy and Higher Education, Tufts University <https://idhe.tufts.edu/>, is a leading venue for research, resources, and advocacy on college student political learning and engagement in democratic practice. The Institute’s signature initiative, the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) <https://idhe.tufts.edu/nslve>, offers more than 1,000 colleges and universities an opportunity to learn about their student registration and voting rates.
GODORT Voter Toolkit godort.libguides.com/votingtoolkit .
Kids Voting USA http://kidsvotingusa.org provides voting education information for kids and resources for educators.
League of Women Voters, lwv.org, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Its Voters Education Fund works to register voters, provide voters with election information through voter guides as well as candidate forums and debates. The League’s 50 state and 700 local chapters https://www.lwv.org/about-us/membership-local-leagues offer voting services in many communities.
National Voter Registration Day https://nationalvoterregistrationday.org, celebrated on the 4th Tuesday of September, provides training and resources for any organization that wishes to host a voter registration effort.
Rock the Vote, rockthevote.com https://www.rockthevote.org/, offers information on issues and voting geared towards younger voters, as well as Democracy Class—lesson plans for teachers and education partners working with high school students.
ALA partners with Democracy Class on voter education for youth
An initiative of the nonpartisan nonprofit Rock the Vote, Democracy Class is a free curriculum that educates high-school-aged students about the importance and history of voting and pre-registers and registers them to vote.
The curriculum comes with a webinar about implementing the program, Voting and Voices: Engaging Students and Families in Democracy. The webinar covers state-specific guides for conducting registration drives, strategies to help combat polarization in the classroom, and tips for creating a culture that encourages civil discourse.
The American Library Association (ALA), a new partner of Democracy Class, encourages school and public libraries to deliver the one-hour program to teenage patrons in advance of National Voter Registration Day, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. Read more
VoteRiders, assists voters in obtaining an acceptable form of identification to take to the polls or when voting by mail. For states with Voter ID laws, voters can post their state Voter ID information card on the organization’s website that details all forms of acceptable IDs.
When We All Vote https://www.whenweallvote.org/ is focused on increasing participation in elections at every level of government, particularly among young voters.
YoungVoter www.youngvoter.org works in low-income communities and communities of color to train and empower young people with on the ground leadership skills which allow them to become civically engaged young folk who are excited about voter engagement.
Candidate and Election Information
Ballotopedia https://ballotpedia.org/Main_Page provides ballot information for voters.
Ballot Ready https://www.ballotready.org/ helps voters understand ballots and build their own sample ballot based on their Voter Registration status.
Ben’s Guide https://bensguide.gpo.gov/ educates young people about the workings of federal government.
The Federal Election Commission https://www.fec.gov/ includes campaign filing information for candidates as well as a searchable database for voters.
Federal Voting Assistance Program https://www.fvap.gov/ helps U.S. service members and Americans living overseas find critical information for voting absentee. Alternative: Overseas Vote - https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/vote/home
GovTrack https://www.govtrack.us/ tracks federal legislation and the voting and bill sponsorship records of Representatives and Senators.
How to Vote in Every State https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j5BUZSTAu8&feature=youtu.be offers a YouTube channel to assist voters.
Nonprofit Vote https://www.nonprofitvote.org/, a consortium of non-partisan, non-profit organizations seeking to provide information and resources to increase voter participation in elections, includes state-by-state voting information.
Teaching for Democracy Alliance http://www.teachingfordemocracy.org/ works to strengthen student learning about elections and informed voting.
Turbovote https://turbovote.org/ provides English and Spanish language resources, including a mobile app, to facilitate greater participation in elections with voter registration, filing for absentee ballots, voting information, and deadline reminders.
Stanford-MIT Healthy Elections Project https://healthyelections.org/about
ensures that the 2020 election can proceed with integrity, safety, and equal access by bringing together academics, civic organizations, election administrators, and election administration experts to assess and promote best practices. Includes a Vote-By Mail Resource Guide https://healthyelections.org/vote-mail-resource-guide
U.S. Election Assistance Commission https://www.eac.gov/ offers state by state election day contact information and a large glossary of terms translated into 10 languages including Native American Languages.
U.S. Vote Foundation https://www.usvotefoundation.org/ allows tracking of preferred candidates and build a sample ballot, in partnership with FactCheck.org.
USAGov https://www.usa.gov/voting lays out the basics such as frequently used terms during elections.
Vote.gov https://www.vote.gov is the federal website that links to online voter registration and provides additional registration information, including for those voting from overseas
Vote 411 https://www.vote411.org/ provides a "one-stop-shop" for election related information including both general and state-specific information on various aspects of the election process, along with the polling place locator, sponsored by the League of Women Voters,.
VoteSmart. https://votesmart.org/ provides search tools and a mobile app to research candidates and elected officials, voting records, and issues.
Fact Checking Tools
Fact Check https://factcheck.org, a project of the U. of Pennsylvania Annenberg Public Policy Center, monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.
PolitiFact https://www.politifact.com/# offer non-partisan fact checking organization focuses on national political figures, sponsored by the Poynter Institute for Media Studies.
Snopes https://www.snopes.com/ fact checks and conducts original, investigative reporting so readers are empowered to do independent research and make up their own minds.
Publications
American Library Association. (2020). Libraries and Voter Engagement. Washington, DC: American Library Association. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/content/advleg/statelocalefforts/voterengagement/Libraries%20and%20Voter%20Engagement%20-%20WEB%20120219%20%28005%29.pdf
American Library Association. (2020). Libraries Engage Voters: Tip Sheet. Washington, DC: American Library Association. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/content/Libraries%20Engage%20Voters%20(1)%20copy%20_0.pdf
American Library Association, Government Documents Roundtable. (2020). Voting and Election Toolkits: Voting and Election Guides for Each State, For Librarians, By Librarian. Chicago,IL: American Library Association. https://godort.libguides.com/votingtoolkit/home
CIRCLE (Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. “Growing Voters: Engaging Youth Before they Reach Voting Age to Strengthen Democracy,” https://civicyouth.org/growing-voters-engaging-youth-before-they-reach-voting-age-to-strengthen-democracy/
Common Knowledge. “Community Driven Design Increases Voter Turnout,”
Cook Memorial Public Library District. (n.d.) “Be a Voter Guidelines. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N7qIlnduWiBqAZmKNYQ3iRDxcjHBAXDn/view
“Engaging Student Voters,” (2020). Speech Spotlight. U of California, National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement. https://freespeechcenter.universityofcalifornia.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SpeechSpotlight-Issue-2-February-2020-Engaging-Student-Voters.pdf
Kranich, Nancy. (2000). Smart Voting Starts @ your library. Chicago, IL: American Library Association. http://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/governance/officers/kranich_2.pdf
American Association of People with Disabilities. (2019). Rev Up: National Disability Voter Registration Week Toolkit. AAPD. https://www.aapd.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-National-Disability-Voter-Registration-Week-Toolkit.pdf
Public Library Association. (June 4, 2019). The Public Library’s Role during Elections: Voter Education in the Age of Misinformation. Webinar. Chicago, IL: Public Library Association. http://www.ala.org/pla/education/onlinelearning/webinars/ondemand/votereducation
Reece, Gwendolyn. (2018). Absentee Ballot Day Tool Kit. Washington, DC: American University Libraries. https://subjectguides.library.american.edu/absentee_ballot_day; video about initiative: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABFiFpul-gc&feature=youtu.be
Reece, Gwendolyn. Voting and Civic Engagement. Washington, DC: American University Libraries. https://subjectguides.library.american.edu/c.php?g=885613
Thomas, Nancy, Adam Gismondi, Prabhat Gautam, David Brinker. (2020). Democracy Counts 2018: Increased Student and Institutional Engagement. Medford, MA: Tufts University Institute for Democracy and Higher Education. https://idhe.tufts.edu/sites/default/files/DemocracyCounts2018.pdf
Udell, Emily. (2019). “Countdown to the Vote: Libraries ramp up engagement and outreach efforts for 2020,” American Libraries Online. November 1. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2019/11/01/countdown-vote-libraries-voter-registration/
Working Group on Universal Voting. (2020). Lift Every Voice: The Urgency of Universal Civic Duty—VOTING. Washington, DC and Cambridge, MA: Brookings Institution and Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Br_LIFT_Every_Voice_final.pdf
New Jersey
Brigid Callahan Harrison. (2013). “Congressional Redistricting in New Jersey,” book chapter in The Election’s Mine—I Draw the Line: The Political Battle over Redistricting at the State Level (Lexington Books), Lexington, KY: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers.
Julia Sass Rubin. (2020). “Does the County Line Matter: An Analysis of New Jersey’s 2020 Primary Election Results,” New Jersey Policy Perspective. https://www.njpp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NJPP-Report-Does-the-County-Line-Matter-Analysis-of-New-Jerseys-2020-Primary-Election-Results-Final-1.pdf
Eagleton Institute of Politics. Center for Youth Political Participation. https://cypp.rutgers.edu/
General Books
Gilda R. Daniels. Uncounted: The Crisis of Voter Suppression in America.
Women and Suffrage—100 years
U.S. National Archives. (2020). Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote
Friday, May 10, 2019 - Sunday, January 3, 2021, Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery. Washington, DC: National Archives. https://museum.archives.gov/rightfully-hers#popup
Women Who Fought for the Vote. History Channel. https://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/women-who-fought-for-the-vote-1
Fight for Women’s Rights is a Story for the Ages. Lorrain Ali, LA Times. Star Ledger. August 18, 2020.
Schuessler, Jennifer. “On the Trail of America’s First Women to Vote,” From 1776 to 1807, women in New Jersey had equal voting rights. Newly surfaced documents illuminate how that happened — and the origins of the messy, imperfect democracy we have today.
NY Times. Febraury 24, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/24/arts/first-women-voters-new-jersey.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_200225&campaign_id=2&instance_id=16225&segment_id=21588&user_id=40ebd64e428fed329ff7e3f2c6fc406a®i_id=157360840225
O’Neill, Jill. (2020). “Women Winning the Vote: Politics, Publications and Protests,” Accessible Archives 3 (1) Spring: 1 – 17.
Suffrage at 100: A Visual History. Introduction by Veronica Chambers, Jennifer Harlan and Jennifer Schuessler. NY Times. August 20, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/08/17/us/suffrage-movement-photos-history.html
(great visuals)
Gordon, Anne. (1997 - 2003). The Selected Papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, vols 1 – 6. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
Other
Stanford-MIT Healthy Elections Project. https://electionlab.mit.edu/elections-and-covid-19
assesses and promotes best practices to ensure the 2020 election can proceed with integrity, safety, and equal access during the Covid 19 pandemic.
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