Voting Rights

For decades, Advancement Project’s Power & Democracy program has grounded its work in our mission: to fulfill America’s promise of a caring, inclusive, and just democracy. We are working at the national, state, and local levels to protect and expand access to voting.

Our democracy is under attack. State legislatures and election administrators have made it harder to vote, especially for people of color. These attacks on our multi-racial democracy represent the last-ditch efforts of white supremacy to entrench itself in power by limiting who has power. Heading into the 2024 election cycle, we know that we must fight to ensure that our communities can make their voices heard at the ballot box.

Voter Protection Program

We seek to ensure that communities of color have unfettered access to the ballot. This year, we are focused on preventing efforts to make it harder for communities of color to vote. Namely, we are monitoring, investigating and confronting improper purges, polling place changes, vote-by- mail problems, voter challenges, disinformation and voter intimidation, all while using these opportunities to tell the stories of those most affected by these attacks on our multiracial democracy.

2024 Election

We know voting rights work does not just happen in election years – it is critical to protect voting year-round. This year, we are supporting civic engagement groups in ensuring that elections are fair and accessible. Our team is focused on election administration policies and practices as well as removing barriers to the ballot box prior to the election through research, advocacy, litigation and strategic communications. We will monitor elections and work to ensure all votes are counted and election results are certified. Through our work with the Black Narrative Table [link], we will focus our narrative work on turnout and challenging disinformation.

Rights Restoration

Our rights restoration work centers around the idea that in a government for and by the people, everyone should have an affirmative right to vote. We believe that no one, regardless of background, should ever lose their right to vote, which is a primary means of engaging with those in power. We endeavor to eliminate these archaic laws that were born out of racist intentions to limit the political power of Black people.

We support local organizations and statewide coalitions in campaigns to eliminate felony disenfranchisement laws. We also convene these groups from across the country to share their lessons learned.

We are a proud founding member of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, which ultimately amended the state constitution to end lifetime disenfranchisement. After years of our advocacy in Virginia, along with other partners we convinced Governor McAuliffe to restore the voting rights of approximately 150,000 people. We continue to push for a constitutional amendment in Virginia. In Louisiana, we proudly supported our partner Voice of the Experience, in reducing the waiting time for restoration of an individual’s rights.