Fair Elections Center

SEE PART III, LINE 1.

CAMPUS VOTE PROJECT (CVP): CVP WORKS WITH UNIVERSITIES COMMUNITY COLLEGES, FACULTY, STUDENTS AND ELECTION OFFICIALS TO REDUCE BARRIERS TO STUDENT VOTING. THE PROGRAM HELPS CAMPUS LEADERSHIP INSTITUTIONALIZE REFORMS THAT EMPOWER STUDENTS WITH THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO REGISTER AND VOTE. COLLEGE STUDENTS FACE SPECIAL CHALLENGES WHEN ATTEMPTING TO REGISTER AND VOTE IN THEIR COLLEGE COMMUNITIES. THEY LACK INFORMATION ABOUT VOTER REGISTRATION RULES AND DEADLINES SOMETIMES DO NOT HAVE ACCEPTABLE ID FOR VOTER REGISTRATION OR VOTING PURPOSES, ARE CONFUSED ABOUT WHERE TO VOTE, MAY NOT HAVE TRANSPORTATION TO THE POLLS AND, OCCASIONALLY, ARE CONFRONTED BY UNFRIENDLY OR UNSYMPATHETIC ELECTIONS OFFICIALS OR POLL WORKERS. IN RECENT YEARS, A NUMBER OF STATE LEGISLATURES AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE PURSUED NEW LAWS THAT SEEK TO LIMIT ACCESS TO THE POLLS WITH PARTICULARLY DAMAGING EFFECTS FOR STUDENT VOTERS. CVP SEEKS TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES BY PROVIDING UP TO DATE VOTING INFORMATION AND WORKING WITH SCHOOLS TO DELIVER IT TO THEIR STUDENTS AT KEY POINTS OF INTERACTIONS LIKE ORIENTATION AND CLASS REGISTRATION. CVP ALSO DEVELOPS BEST PRACTICES TO GET INFORMATION TO ALL ENROLLED STUDENTS DURING VOTER REGISTRATION EARLY VOTING AND ON ELECTION DAY THAT WILL RESULT IN HIGHER STUDENT VOTER TURNOUT. IN 2021, CVP PARTNERED WITH ROUGHLY 300 CAMPUSES THAT REACHED MORE THAN 3.4 MILLION STUDENTS IN 41 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. CVP ALSO PAYS STIPENDS TO STUDENT DEMOCRACY FELLOWS, AND PROVIDES THEM WITH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT TRAINING. IN 2020 CVP PLACED AND SUPERVISED MORE THAN 200 FELLOWS. CVP ALSO HAS HBCU LEGACY INITIATIVE, PROGRAMMING DESIGNED TO SPECIFICALLY FOCUS ON IDENTIFYING AND ADDRESSING BARRIERS TO STUDENT VOTING ON HBCU CAMPUSES AND BLACK STUDENT VOTING ON PREDOMINANTLY WHITE CAMPUSES.

LITIGATION: THE FAIR ELECTIONS CENTER'S LEGAL TEAM FOCUSES ON CASES WHERE WE CAN LEVERAGE OUR EXPERTISE AND STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS TO HAVE MAXIMUM IMPACT TO BRING DOWN BARRIERS TO REGISTRATION AND VOTING THAT AFFECT TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED CONSTITUENCIES: STUDENTS AND YOUTH, THE ELDERLY, LANGUAGE MINORITY AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. OUR WORK HAS SUCCESSFULLY FOCUSED ON CHALLENGING REGISTRATION LAWS THAT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST NATURALIZED CITIZENS AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES OR INTERPRETATIONS THAT UNCONSTITUTIONALLY DENY VOTING RIGHTS TO FORMER FELONS, 17-YEAR-OLDS WHO WILL BE 18 ON ELECTION DAY, AND OTHER HISTORICALLY UNDER-REPRESENTED GROUPS. FAIR ELECTIONS CENTER ATTORNEYS BROUGHT COVID-19 RELATED LITIGATION IN KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA, NORTH CAROLINA, PENNSYLVANIA AND WISCONSIN TO PROTECT IN-PERSON VOTING AND EXPAND MAIL-IN-VOTING. IN NORTH CAROLINA, THE ORGANIZATION SECURED A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION ORDERING A CURE PROCEDURE FOR MINOR DEFECTS IN ABSENTEE BALLOT CERTIFICATE ENVELOPES, WHICH HAS ALLOWED AT LEAST 10,000 BALLOTS TO BE CURED. IN KENTUCKY, THE ORGANIZATION PURSUED VOTING RIGHTS RESTORATION FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE COMPLETED THEIR FELONY SENTENCES BUT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDER. FEC HAS ALSO FILED CASE IN FEDERAL COURT TO BLOCK THE IMPROPER PURGE OF MORE THAN 230,000 WISCONSIN VOTERS. FEC HAS USED LAWSUITS TO ADVOCATE FOR AN END TO UNFAIR VOTER ID REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS IN WISCONSIN, END THE MANDATED USE OF MISLEADING LANGUAGE FOR GROUPS CONDUCTING VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVES, AND MANY OTHER THINGS.

ELECTIONS REFORM POLICY: FAIR ELECTIONS CENTER'S STAFF RUNS A GENERAL PROGRAM ON ELECTION REFORM POLICY SUPPORTING UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES. FAIR ELECTIONS CENTER CONTINUED TO SUPPORT VARIOUS UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES WITH UPDATED VOTER GUIDES AND THIRD-PARTY REGISTRATION DRIVE GUIDES FOR ALL 50 STATES IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING DIRECTLY AND THROUGH WEBINARS TO VARIOUS COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND MINORITY LANGUAGE AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO WORKED WITH ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS IN MORE THAN A DOZEN STATES TO ANALYZE LEGISLATION AND PROVIDE ANALYSIS OF ITS IMPACT ON VOTING OR ON ELECTION ADMINISTRATION. FAIR ELECTIONS CENTER ALSO DEVELOPED, RELEASED AND OFFERED WEBINARS ON VOTER REGISTRATION AND VOTING FOR NON-PARTISAN VOTER MOBILIZATION ORGANIZATIONS.