FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Contact: [email protected]
(WASHINGTON, DC): Today, Stephanie L. Young, Executive Director of When We All Vote, a leading voting organization committed to increasing participation in every election, released a statement following the Senate’s failure to change the Senate rules to pass voting rights legislation.
“Today, two Democrats and every Republican senator failed the American people and our democracy. They chose their political power over the people, and obstruction over justice. They had every opportunity to fight for our vote and protect Americans from the more than 500 voter suppression bills lawmakers have proposed in 49 states. Voting rights is not and should not be a partisan issue. In 2006, the Voting Rights Act passed 98 to 0 in the Senate with votes from 16 sitting Republican Senators, and has been extended or reauthorized by four sitting Republican Presidents. What’s changed? They are afraid of the power of the American voter,” said Young.
“We are mortified and angry at our lawmakers’ complete disregard for safeguarding our democracy and protecting our voting rights. The American people did their job. They showed up in record numbers in 2020 to elect ‘leaders’ who should represent their values and best interests.”
“While we take a breath, we must persist in this fight because our democracy cannot wait. Saving our democracy has never been led by the people in power — it’s been led by us, the people, and it starts in our communities. Thirty civil rights and voting organizations representing millions of Americans joined our Fight For Our Vote pledge so we can do everything in our power to register and turn out voters in the 2022 midterm elections. Our priorities have not wavered — we will still register more than one million voters, mobilize thousands of volunteers and lawyers and fight for our vote at every level of government. Join us at whenweallvote.org.”
When We All Vote has consistently mobilized its community of grassroots volunteers, corporate leaders and celebrity ambassadors in support of federal voting rights legislation. Last week, founder and Co-Chair Michelle Obama announced that thirty of the nation’s largest civil rights and voting organizations joined When We All Vote in the Fight For Our Vote pledge to recruit and train 100,000 volunteers, register more than one million new voters, organize at least 100,000 Americans to contact their Senators to fight for federal voting rights legislation and more. In 2021, When We all Vote mobilized 20,000 people to contact Congress about voting rights, released a letter signed by more than 60 celebrities and ambassadors calling on Congress to pass federal voting rights legislation and partnered with Vote.org, the Declaration for American Democracy Coalition (DFAD) and more than 90 of the country’s leading corporations in calling on the Senate to pass the For the People Act.
Individuals can learn more and get involved in When We All Vote’s advocacy efforts at whenweallvote.org/advocacy.
ABOUT When We All Vote:
When We All Vote is a leading national, nonpartisan initiative is on a mission to change the culture around voting and to increase participation in each and every election by helping to close the race and age gap. Created by Michelle Obama, When We All Vote brings together individuals, institutions, brands, and organizations to register new voters across the country and advance civic education for the entire family and voters of every age to build an informed and engaged electorate for today and generations to come. We empower our supporters and volunteers to take action through voting, advocating for their rights, and holding their elected officials accountable.
In 2020, When We All Vote ran a robust, multifaceted campaign and reached more than 100 million people to educate them about the voting process and get them registered and ready to vote. The initiative also led in voter education, registration, and volunteer engagement and as a result, 512,000 people started or completed the voter registration process, and nearly 500 media, corporate, and nonprofit partners joined its efforts.
Michelle Obama launched When We All Vote in 2018 and is joined by fellow Co-Chairs Tom Hanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Janelle Monáe, Chris Paul, Faith Hill, Selena Gomez, Liza Koshy, Megan Rapinoe, Shonda Rhimes, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kerry Washington, and Rita Wilson.
When We All Vote is a key initiative within Civic Nation, a 501(c)(3) organization, and works with Civic Nation Action, a 501(c)(4). These organizations are homes for changemakers who inspire, educate, and activate people around the issues that will define this generation.
ABOUT Civic Nation:
Civic Nation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit home for changemakers who inspire, educate, and activate people around the issues that will define this generation. Civic Nation empowers and educates individuals, companies, institutions and organizations to drive culture, systems, and policy change, working towards a more inclusive and equitable America. Seven initiatives are a part of the Civic Nation family: When We All Vote, United State of Women, ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, End Rape On Campus, It’s On Us, Made to Save and We The Action. Learn more here.