Project Vote facts for kids
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| Formation | 1994 |
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| Type | 501(c)(3) non-profit |
| Purpose | Voting rights |
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Formerly called
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Voting for America |
Project Vote was a national non-profit organization. It worked to help people vote, especially those who might not usually get involved. This included people with lower incomes or from minority groups.
Project Vote was a nonpartisan group. This means it did not support any specific political party. It was a 501(c)(3) organization, which is a special kind of non-profit group in the U.S. that does not make money for owners and often does good work for the public.
The group stopped working on May 31, 2017. Its last leader was Michael Slater. Project Vote closed because it had trouble getting enough money to keep going.
Contents
History of Project Vote
There was an earlier group called Project VOTE! It was active from 1982 to 1993. This group helped many people sign up to vote.
Early Voter Registration Efforts
One famous event was a voter registration drive in Chicago in 1992. A future U.S. President, Barack Obama, helped lead this effort. After 1993, Project VOTE! changed how it was set up. This new setup became the basis for Project Vote.
How Project Vote Started
Project Vote, as we know it, officially started in 1994. It was first called Voting for America, Inc. In 1997, it began using the name Project Vote/Voting for America. By 2010, the organization simply used "Project Vote."
Working with Other Groups
From 1994 to 2008, Project Vote often worked with local groups like ACORN. They worked together to help people sign up to vote. Some people on Project Vote's leadership team were also part of ACORN.
Project Vote also teamed up with other important organizations. These included Demos and the Brennan Center for Justice. They worked on rules about how elections are run. They also focused on protecting people's right to vote. This included making sure the National Voter Registration Act (a law about voting) was followed. They did this through research, legal actions, and offering help.
Legal Actions for Voting Rights
In February 2012, Project Vote (then known as Voting for America/Project Vote) took legal action. They filed a federal lawsuit. This lawsuit challenged rules in Texas. These rules made it hard for groups to help citizens sign up to vote. Project Vote believed these rules were unfair.
