VOTING RIGHTS
Mission: The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that seeks to improve our systems of democracy and justice. We work to hold our political institutions and laws accountable to the twin American ideals of democracy and equal justice for all. The Center’s work ranges from voting rights to campaign finance reform, from ending mass incarceration to preserving Constitutional protection in the fight against terrorism. Part think tank, part advocacy group, part cutting-edge communications hub, we start with rigorous research. We craft innovative policies. And we fight for them — in Congress and the states, the courts, and in the court of public opinion.
Website: http://www.brennancenter.org/get-involved
Phone: 646-292-8310
Email: brennancenterjobs@nyu.edu
What volunteers do:
- law students and lawyers provide litigation support
FYI:
- volunteers welcome to contact the organization with ideas about how they can help with policy research and public advocacy (send resume and cover letter)
Mission: Citizen Action of New York is a grassroots membership organization taking on big issues that are at the center of transforming society: quality education and after-school programs for all our kids; guaranteed quality, affordable health care; public financing of election campaigns; dismantling racism and promoting racial justice; a more progressive tax system. We look for opportunities to accomplish big changes – not small, incremental reforms. We work to elect progressive candidates to office who are committed to these issues. Our power comes from the grassroots: people coming together to push the edge of the possible. Every new member helps bring New York and America closer to a society that works for all of us!
Website: http://citizenactionny.org
Phone: 212-523-0180
Email: canyc@citizenactionny.org
What volunteers do:
- represent Citizen Action at coalition meetings
- assign tasks and keep track of tasks for follow-up
- captain buses to events, rallies, marches
- coordinate calendar of meetings and events
- write and distribute chants
- cook for events
- debrief participant volunteers
- maintain office inventory and order
- facilitate meetings
- design flyers, newsletters, literature
- keep membership list
- press liaison
- media research
- take meeting minutes
- office manager
- captain phone banks
- photograph events
- watchdog/track politicians’ social media feeds
- receptionist
- issue research
- meeting peacekeeper
- social-media engagement
- book speakers
- spokesperson
- coordinate visibility (banners, signs, pins, t-shirts)
- coordinate volunteers
- write op-eds, letters to the editor, chapter’s monthly report to Albany
Mission: Common Cause is a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process. In this spirit, Common Cause serves as an independent voice for change and a watchdog against corruption and abuse of power. Together with our sister organization, the Common Cause Education Fund, we employ a powerful combination of grassroots organizing, coalition building, research, policy development, public education, lobbying and litigation to win reform at all levels of government. Common Cause New York issues include voting and elections, media and democracy, ethics, money in politics, redistricting. Generation Vote NYC works to increase participation among young voters in municipal elections.
Website: http://www.commoncause.org/states/new-york/
Volunteer signup: http://tinyurl.com/gt2e6um or (for Generation Vote events): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSefznSWHvr5QCZ7rInIcGY-qa5fJ6k4rj0NM_OTvMe9DeR1cQ/viewform?c=0&w=1
Phone: 212-691-6421
Email: Susan Lerner slerner@commoncause.org
What volunteers do:
- issue-based phonebanking
- advocacy at rallies and press conferences
- Election Protection at polls
- register people to vote at local events
- contact candidates to complete the Common Cause voter guide questionnaire and with answers to young voters' questions
- outreach to potential voters in person and on the phone to encourage them to vote
- collaborate on finalizing a registration packet for registration drives with important voter information
- help set up town halls and candidate forums
Mission: The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, has fought since 1920 to improve our government and impact public policy through citizen education and advocacy. The League's enduring vitality comes from its unique decentralized structure; working at the national, state, and local levels. The League neither supports nor opposes candidates or political parties at any level of government. While the League's legislative priorities change to reflect the needs of society, our organization remains true to its basic purpose: to make democracy work for all citizens. Within New York, the League supports the implementation of voting systems and procedures which are secure, accurate, re-countable, and endorse a precinct-based paper ballot optical scan voting system with a ballot marker to provide accessibility; increased instruction on the use of voting machines, including demonstrations at the polls; increased publication of polling places, dates and times of registration; mandatory training for inspectors, recruitment of bilingual inspectors and appropriate compensation for inspectors; and a Board of Elections of 10 Commissioners --two from each borough representing the two major parties with Board activities administered by a single Director.
Website: http://www.lwvnyc.org/volunteer.html
Phone: 212-725-3541
Email: office@lwvnyc.org
What volunteers do:
- run voter-registration drives
- join an advocacy committee (affordable housing, board of elections, education, environmental action, voter & information services, women’s rights)
Mission: Our mission is to defend and promote the fundamental principles and values embodied in the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution, and the New York Constitution, including freedom of speech and religion, and the right to privacy, equality and due process of law for all New Yorkers. We believe that all New Yorkers have inalienable rights that cannot be taken away by the government or by majority vote. They are: 1) Freedom of speech, press, petition and assembly. Even unpopular expression is protected from government suppression and censorship. 2) Freedom of religion. Each of us has the right to exercise his or her own religion, or no religion, free from any government influence or compulsion. 3) Privacy. We have the right to be free from unwarranted and unwanted government intrusion into our personal and private affairs, papers and possessions. 4) Due process of law. We have right to be treated fairly by the government whenever the loss of liberty or property is at stake. 5) Equality before the law. We have the right to be treated equally regardless of nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, disability or socio-economic status. The NYCLU fights for civil liberties and civil rights through a multi-layered program of litigation, advocacy, public education and community organizing. Our clients are men and women, rich and poor, gay and straight, black, white and brown, young and old, religious and atheist, able-bodied and living with a disability, citizens and immigrants. When we vindicate their rights, all New Yorkers benefit.
Website: http://nyclu.org/content/our-advocacy-program
Volunteer sign-up form: https://action.aclu.org/secure/volunteer-nyclu
Phone: 212-607-3300
Email: n/a
What volunteers do:
- online activism
- grassroots lobbying
- community organizing
- lobby with NYCLU in Albany (next day of action March 13, 2017)
- monitor protests
- writing/journalism
- research
- help fundraise
- graphic design
- multimedia support
- translate (Arabic , Chinese , French, Hindi, Korean, Kreyol, Polish, Spanish, Russian, Urdu)
- photography/videography
- education