After fighting effectively for over 30 years to promote voter registration and states’ compliance with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), Project Vote has announced that it will shut down as of May 31, due to fundraising difficulties in today’s environment.
“[F]unding for voter registration programs declined precipitously after 2008, and the number of funders supporting voting rights advocacy and litigation slowly decreased as well,” Slater said.
Slater also pointed to the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision to strike down the pre-clearance provisions of the Voting Rights Act which resulted in the donor community focusing available voting rights resources on VRA enforcement, which had the effect of reducing funds for other work, such as Project Vote’s work enforcing the NVRA.
“Despite that changing environment, we were able for many years to continue to deliver on our mission to make sure the American electorate better reflected the needs and diversity of the American people,” Slater said.
For a single-issue nonprofit like Project Vote — without a diverse portfolio of work to fundraise on — the situation gradually became untenable.
Champions of voting rights are stunned by the news of the passing of this strong ally. Election law scholar Rick Hasen, for instance:
“This is very sad news for voters. Project Vote has been a leader in making sure that states comply with the provisions of the motor-voter law making it easier for people to register and vote when they come into contact with government agencies. I hope that others can step in and help with this very important work.”
Over its decades of service, Project Vote helped literally millions of Americans get registered to vote, and trained countless organizations to run efficient, effective voter drives. A young fellow named Barack Obama worked as an organizer there during the 1992 election.
What does it say about progressive donors that now, when we need efforts like Project Vote more than ever, we are instead saying goodbye?