Washington, D.C. – State Voices issued the following statement on election night. The following statement can be attributed to Alexis Anderson-Reed, President of State Voices.
“This Election Day, State Voices is in awe of the incredible energy that BIPOC organizers poured into turning out their communities. Organizers and leaders worked tirelessly across the country to ensure voters’ questions were answered, that they could vote early, that voters were able to cast their ballots free from interference and intimidation, and that our voting process ran smoothly. And the work will continue to ensure all votes are counted and elections are certified. Regardless of where a voter lives or who they cast their ballot for, our mission was clear: to ensure every vote is counted and every voice is heard.
“So far, our nationwide network, in partnership with Voter Participation Center, has contacted over 29 million unique voters and made over 160 million contacts and counting, with especially high contact numbers in Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, North Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. We’ve also helped collect over 840,000 voter registration forms. This work was especially crucial given the years of coordinated, nationwide disinformation and voter suppression campaigns pushed through by extremists. In the past two years almost a third of the states have tried to make it harder to vote – targeting voter registration, requiring photo IDs; limiting early and mail voting; and banning ballot drop boxes. At the same time, disinformation campaigns expressly designed to fuel anxiety and doubt have become a primary tool of election deniers for whom the health of our democracy is simply collateral damage on their quest to power. It’s appalling, but it has also become predictable. And because it’s predictable, Election Protection advocates like us were ready today and we have been ready for months.
“That’s why despite the obstacles, voters turned out in record early vote numbers in places like Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. It’s why we saw tremendous energy, enthusiasm, and even joy in our early voting rallies; and why voters from communities of color and historically marginalized groups were lining up in droves to cast their ballots today. The ground game is back because we stayed ready. We voted for our freedoms, our families, and our futures. We refuse to let oppressive politicians count us out.
“As we await the election results, State Voices thanks BIPOC voters and organizers for their commitment to a thriving, multiracial democracy. Our work is year-round and we will keep organizing no matter what. Our democracy depends on it.”
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About State Voices:
State Voices, the nation’s largest non-partisan infrastructure organization, coordinates hyper local election registration, education and mobilization across 24 states with 1,200 partners in BIPOC and working class communities across the country. We fight for a world where every vote is counted, every voice is heard, and every need is met. As advocates, organizers, and activists united across the U.S., State Voices is collectively building a healthy democracy and political power with Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and all people of color (BIPOC).
