Georgia Muslim Voter Project

GMVPS PRIMARY PURPOSE IS TO EDUCATE MINORITIES ABOUT THE POLITICAL PROCESS, TO BUILD VOTER TURNOUT IN ELECTIONS AND TO PROMOTE CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY AMONG LOCAL COMMUNITIES.

VOTER REGISTRATION: IN 2021, GAMVP USED A VARIETY OF IN-PERSON AND DIGITAL METHODS TO REGISTER 341 NEW VOTERS DURING A LOCAL ELECTION YEAR IN GEORGIA, SURPASSING OUR 2021 GOAL OF 300 NEW VOTER REGISTRATIONS. GAMVP CANVASSERS TABLED AT MOSQUES DURINGPRAYER TIME, LOCAL MUSLIM-OWNED BUSINESSES INCLUDING HALAL RESTAURANTS AND GROCERIES, ETHNIC COMMUNITY CENTERS, ANDCULTURAL/RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS. NEW VOTERS WERE REGISTERED VIA PAPER APPLICATIONS OR THROUGH AN ONLINE REGISTRATION LINK; WEALSO PASSED OUT QR CODES THAT LINKED TO OUR ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION LINK. DUE TO COVID SURGES THAT YEAR, GAMVP ALSORELIED HEAVILY ON TEXT BANKING CAMPAIGNS TO REGISTER VOTERS, CHECK VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS, AND BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWERCOMMUNITY QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE VOTING PROCESS. WE SENT OUT 233,793 TEXTS IN TOTAL RELATING TO VOTER REGISTRATION.OUR TEAM PARTNERED WITH 30 MASJIDS AND SEVERAL LOCAL BUSINESSES TO CONNECT DIRECTLY WITH THE COMMUNITY.

VOTER ENGAGEMENT: FOR THE LOCAL MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN NOVEMBER 2021, GAMVP LED TEXT AND PHONE BANKING CAMPAIGNS TO GET OUT THE VOTE AMONGST MUSLIM COMMUN. IN GEORGIA. IN NOV. ELECTION, WE SENT OUT 110,000 TEXT MSG. AND HAD OVER 600 PHONE CONVER, IN ADDITION TO SENDING OUT 60,000 MAILERS ACROSS THE STATE TO REG. MUSLIMS. CAMPAIGNS ALLOWED US TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO ENSURE OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS COULD FULLY PARTICIPATE AS EDUCATED AND EMPOWERED VOTERS. IN NOV RUNOFF ELECTION, GAMVP SENT OUT 34,000 TEXTS AND HAD OVER 300 PHONE CONVER. THIS EVENT GAMVP AND OUR PARTNER ORGA. TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO INTERACT DIRECTLY WITH CANDIDATES FOR CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR. GAMVP ALSO USED THE POWER OF TECHNOLOGY TO HELP OUR COMMUNITIES BE INFORMED BEFORE HEADING TO THE POLLS. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BRANCHPOLITICS, A NON-PARTISAN POLITICAL STARTUP, WE LAUNCHED AN ONLINE BALLOT TOOL (HTTPS://GAMVP.BRANCH.VOTE) THAT ALLOWED USERS TO INPUT ADDRESS,READ CANDIDATE PROF.

VOTER EDUCATION:GAMVP CONDUCTED 24 CIVIC ENGAGEMENT EDUCATION EVENTS IN 2021. OUR EDUCATION EVENTS RANGED FROM A VARIETY OF TOPICS WITH MULTIGENERATIONAL AND MULTIETHNIC MUSLIM AUDIENCES ACROSS THE STATE OF GEORGIA. GAMVP PROVIDED WORKSHOPS ON THE BASICS OF THE VOTING PROCESS FOR NEW AMERICANS AND OTHER NEWLY REGISTERED, INEXPERIENCED VOTERS. AS PART OF OUR VOTER AND CIVIC EDUCATION EFFORTS, WE HELD 5 REDISTRICTING WORKSHOPS IN 2021 WITH VARIOUS ETHNIC, COMMUNITY AND STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS. IT PROVIDES ATTENDEES WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS, HIGHLIGHTED THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF GERRYMANDERING, AND GAVE ATTENDEES OPPORTUNITIES TO TRAIN AND PARTAKE IN COMMUNITY MAPPING IN ORDER TO ADVOCATE FOR A FAIR REDISTRICTING PROCESS. WE ALSO HELD REALTIME COLLABORATIVE EDUCATIONAL INSTAGRAM LIVE SESSIONS WITH A HOST OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS ON TOPICS RANGING FROM VOTING RIGHTS TO THE GEORGIA REDISTRICTING SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSIO.