Healthy Democracy: Not the Work of One Day
The message from Organization Night for Healthy Democracy was loud and clear: our democracy is in poor health. Voter turnout is deplorably low: 60% in presidential elections, 40% in mid-term elections, and just 5-25% in primary and local elections, said Democracy Works. Only "30% of millennials believe our democracy is a good system of government," said iCivics. And gerrymandering has "metastasized into a truly dangerous practice for our democracy" that subverts the will of voters, said Campaign Legal Center.
But there was a second message from the evening: we can fix it. We can make it more equitable for all Americans by helping everyone be counted, be educated and be heard.
Be Counted
Gerrymandering, or redrawing of district lines to favor one political party over another, is a 200-year-old practice. However, this âhijacking of the election process, by political parties, is now on steroids thanks to big data and partisan polarization, said Campaign Legal Center Senior Legal Counsel Ruth Greenwood. This non-partisan organization is working toward a future where more states have independent redistricting commissions, similar to California. Campaign Legal Centerâs ultimate vision is to create a political process that is accessible to all; resulting in a representative, responsive and accountable government.
Photo Credit: Marla Aufmuth
"Simply put, gerrymandering hurts people," said Take Back Our Republic Founder and Executive Director John Pudner. Take Back Our Republic is also working toward a future where people have the power to draw maps, more than politicians. But in a welcome twist, they bring a conservative voice and extensive political network among the Republican party to the movement to end gerrymandering. Why? Because "people are the victims" of gerrymandering, exclaimed John.
Photo Credit: Marla Aufmuth
"We all count. We are greater than the sum of our parts," said CommunityConnect Labs Director of Government and Nonprofit Programs, Stephanie Kim. Unfortunately, when it comes to the U.S. census, not everyone is actually counted. The 2010 census undercounted Californians by 1 million, impacting federal funding for health, education and benefits programs. In 2020, the census will move online. Census Bureau budgets were cut, and intended testing of the new system was not completed, resulting in the Government Accounting Office labeling the 2020 census "high-risk." Complicating matters, California is home to 10 of the 50 counties across the country that are the hardest to count.
To ensure we actually are all counted in the 2020 census, and a fair amount of federal funding flows into our state, two finalists proposed complementary solutions. CommunityConnect Labs will mobilize 30,000 Californians to reach the half-million that are hardest to count in the next census. Ethnic Media Services will support media channels reaching communities underserved by mainstream media as trusted messengers to educate them on the 2020 census and the importance of participating in it. As the Founder of Ethnic Media Services, Sandy Close, said "Everyone counts, or we all lose."
Photo Credit: Marla Aufmuth
Be Educated
Founded by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, iCivics is used by 200,000 teachers and 5 million students across all 50 states to make civics education more meaningful and engaging. By using gaming technology, for games like Win the White House, it teaches students civics principles online. Students then move to the field and participate in transformative service-learning projects. Executive Director Louise Dubé said iCivics allows young people to be change agents in making their communities better.
Photo Credit: Marla Aufmuth
"Young women are the change this country needs to move forward," said IGNITE Alumna Deyci Carrillo Lopez. Lopez continued, "Policy influences our life. If we want women to get paid an equal wage for an equal day's work, if we want them to be able to control their own bodies, if we want women to be free from violence, then we need to be the ones at the table." IGNITE is ensuring young womenâs voices are heard by bringing them to their state capitals and teaching the women how to advocate for policies that matter to them.
Generation Citizen is activating the next generation of community leaders in the Bay Area through action-civics education in the classroom and the halls of local government. Students develop skills for lifelong civic participation by choosing a community issue, determining a policy solution, and bringing their solution to government officials. 16-year old Generation Citizen student Lexie Tesch said that through the program she is helping to shape a future where "every single voice matters in this country."
Photo Credit: Marla Aufmuth
Be Heard
Contrary to popular belief, says Alliance for Youth Organizing Executive Director Sarah Audelo, millennials didn't ruin everything. In fact, they are leading change. The alliance includes 22 organizations across 20 states and is "of young people, by young people, for ALL people." Its Democracy Done Right campaign is working to implement pro-democracy reforms like automatic voter registration, something it was first to achieve in Oregon. The alliance would like to replicate its success by providing capacity building, coaching, training and funding to other network members across the county.
Photo Credit: Marla Aufmuth
Represent.Us believes "the government should be working for regular Americans and their families, not just the handful of special interests," said Co-Founder and Managing Director Joshua Graham Lynn. But it's not. "Democracy is failing in America," said Co-Founder and Director Josh Silver. Represent.Us is doing something about it by amplifying the voices of grassroots campaigns across the country. Its national campaign hub supports legislative efforts on issues such as campaign-finance reform, gerrymandering and ranked choice voting.
Million Voters Project is a coalition of California grassroots networks who have joined together to turn out 1 million new voters in communities of color, low-income communities, among immigrants and refugees, people of faith, and the formerly incarcerated. "The real work starts the day after November 6th," said Vice President of coalition member California Calls, Karla Zombro. That's when Million Voters Project will begin empowering voters for the 2020 election.
Photo Credit: Marla Aufmuth
Democracy Works "is modernizing voting," said Co-Founder and Executive Director Seth Flaxman. Its app, TurboVote, helps with voter registration and requesting of absentee ballots; and it reminds voters about registration deadlines, upcoming elections, and where to vote. Prior to 2018, it had 1 million users; as of mid-October 2018, it was up to 6.2 million. Flaxman is asking Battery Powered members to join him and his moonshot goal of raising voter turnout to 80% in a presidential election.
Organizations led by women of color are funded last and funded least, said Groundswell Action Fund Executive Director Vanessa Daniel. Yet these women are at the forefront of progressive organizing. Groundswell is a political fund to channel support and funding to 501c4 organizations led by women of color across the country. Daniel challenged members to support Groundswell, noting it is not "strategic to continue to walk by voters of color and ignore voters of color and not invest in their leadership and their participation. And then wonder why we are losing again and again."
Photo Credit: Marla Aufmuth
For more information on our 12 Healthy Democracy finalists, check out their project pages, which include comprehensive summaries of each organization's mission, work, and impact.
On November 14th, Battery Powered members will gather at Allocation Night to decide which organizations will be awarded a grant. Want to be part of the process? Join now here.
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