Introduction
November 2004
|
The story of the 2004 election is that new voters, especially low-income people of color, turned out in record numbers and played a major role. Millions of people who ordinarily do not vote did so this year, many for the first time.
The voting poor made their voices heard, becoming one of the most motivated, best coordinated, and fastest growing sectors of the American electorate.
They voted in sufficient numbers to surpass the margin of victory or defeat in the presidential contest and dozens of other key races, some of which were won by Democrats and some by Republicans. Equally significant, the grassroots organizations that mobilized these voters have built a coalition that can sustain this surge in low-income voter participation for future election cycles.
The power of these voters is not so much that they tended to vote for one candidate or another, but that they could win the election for any candidate – if that candidate gives these voters the attention, respect, and responsiveness that they deserve. Every new incumbent and would-be challenger should know that addressing the concerns of these newly activated poor voters is essential.
|
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
The Community Voting Project of the Center for Community Change had a unique advantage over other nonpartisan programs that deployed armies of temporary organizers from outside the community to register and educate new voters.
Our partnership with permanent grassroots organizations leveraged the reputation and credibility of these groups in the local communities that have come to know them through long years of service. Voters in these areas knew that these organizations would remain active in the community after the election.
» next page: 2. Community Voting Project: Results
1. The Poor at the Polls
introduction
2. Community Voting Project results
3. Important Keys to Success
4. Sample Grassroots Profiles from the Report
5. Click Here to Download a Full Copy of Community Voting Project: The Poor at the Polls
 |
