America Votes is a

501(c)(4) organization A 501(c) organization is a nonprofit organization in the Law of the United States#Federal law, federal law of the United States according to Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 501(c)). Such organizations are exempt from some Taxation in the Un ...

that aims "to coordinate and promote progressive issues." America Votes leads national and state-based coalitions to advance progressive policies and increase

voter turnout In political science, voter turnout is the participation rate (often defined as those who cast a ballot) of a given election. This is typically either the percentage of Voter registration, registered voters, Suffrage, eligible voters, or all Voti ...

for Democratic Party candidates. America Votes was created prior to the

2004 United States presidential election Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 2, 2004. Incumbent Republican President George W. Bush and his running mate, incumbent Vice President Dick Cheney, were re-elected to a second term. They narrowly defeated ...

by Ellen Malcolm, the founder of EMILY's List; former

Sierra Club The Sierra Club is an American environmental organization with chapters in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded in 1892, in San Francisco, by preservationist John Muir. A product of the Pro ...

executive director Carl Pope; Harold Ickes; Steve Rosenthal; and Andy Stern, the former president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

Cecile Richards Cecile Richards (July 15, 1957 – January 20, 2025) was an American activist who served as the president of both the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliated Planned Parenthood Action Fund from 2006 to 2018. In 2010, Richard ...

was the founding president. Greg Speed serves as president of the organization.

Activities

America Votes coordinates GOTV and advocacy campaigns in the United States, "helping liberal advocacy groups work together to avoid overlapping efforts". According to

POLITICO ''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American political digital newspaper company founded by American banker and media executive Robert Allbritton in 2007. It covers politics and policy in the Unit ...

, America Votes has "expanded dramatically" since 2020. America Votes is also involved in advocacy efforts to expand access to voting. For example, the organization recently opposed efforts to restrict out of state students from voting in New Hampshire.

Funding

America Votes does not disclose its donors. The group raised $12.7 million in 2013, and projects revenue of $8.5 million in 2014. According to the Center for Public Integrity, "Between 40 percent and 50 percent of that sum is projected to come from wealthy donors connected to the Democracy Alliance, a secretive nonprofit whose funders include the likes of billionaire investor

George Soros George Soros (born György Schwartz; August 12, 1930) is an American investor and philanthropist. , he has a net worth of US$7.2 billion, Note that this site is updated daily. having donated more than $32 billion to the Open Society Foundat ...

and author, horticulturalist and philanthropist Amy Goldman." In 2018, the Sixteen Thirty Fund gave America Votes $27 million. The $27 million grant was nearly twice the amount America Votes had previously ever raised in a single year.

Donors

The following groups have donated to America Votes: *

National Education Association The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest labor union in the United States. It represents public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college st ...

(over $1 million between October 2012 and September 2013) * Service Employees International Union ($443,000) *

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

($333,000) *

United Food and Commercial Workers The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) is a trade union, labor union representing approximately 1.3 million workers in the United States and Canada in industries including retail; meatpacking, food processing and manufa ...

($28,000) * Mayors Against Illegal Guns *

League of Conservation Voters The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is an American environmental advocacy group. LCV says that it "builds political power for people and the planet." Through its affiliated super PAC, it is a major supporter of the Democratic Party. The org ...

* Ballot Initiative Strategy Center * Tides Advocacy Fund ($1.8 million in 2012 election cycle) * Fred Eychaner * Jon Stryker

Member organizations

The following groups are listed on the America Votes website as "national partners": *

AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is a national trade union center that is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 61 national and international unions, together r ...

(AFSCME) * American Association for Justice *

American Federation of Teachers The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is the second largest teacher's labor union in America (the largest being the National Education Association). The union was founded in Chicago. John Dewey and Margaret Haley were founders. About 60 pe ...

* Americans for Responsible Solutions * Ballot Initiative Strategy Center * Bull Moose Sportsmen Alliance * Center for Community Change * Clean Water Action * EMILY's List * Environment America * Every Voice * Fair Elections Legal Network * Fair Share *

Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for L ...

* International Association of Fire Fighters *

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) is a trade union, labor union that represents approximately 820,000 workers and retirees in the electricity, electrical industry in the United States, Canada, Guam, Panama, Puerto Rico, an ...

International Brotherhood of Teamsters The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of the Team Drivers International Union and the Teamsters National Union, the union now represents a diverse members ...

NARAL Pro-Choice America Reproductive Freedom for All, formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America and commonly known as simply NARAL ( ), is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization in the United States that engages in lobbying, politics, political action, and advocacy efforts to op ...

National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM) is a United States liberal advocacy group whose goal is to protect Social Security (United States), Social Security and Medicare (United States), Medicare. NCPSSM works to pr ...

* National Council of La Raza *

* People for the American Way * Planned Parenthood Action Fund * Progressive Majority * ProgressNow Action * Service Employees International Union *

The Voter Participation Center The Voter Participation Center (VPC) is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose stated aim is to increase voter registration among young people, people of color, and unmarried women, a group it calls "The New American Majority." Its ...

* United Food and Commercial Workers International Union * USAction * VoteVets * Women's Equality Center * Working America

References

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External links

America Votes website
527 organizations Progressive organizations in the United States 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations