Our Three Part Strategy

To build a more just and equitable democracy that is responsive to all people and their will to protect the planet, Democracy For All is improving access to and trust in our democracy, so communities that our country has traditionally left out of the decision making process can reclaim their rightful influence.  We do this by advocating for structural democracy reform, registering and turning people out to vote, and transformational community organizing.

     1. Structural Democracy Reform 

Democracy For All amplifies community power to hold the government accountable to its constitutional promise of equal representation. 

While our country has not always guaranteed all citizens the right to vote, it has become a venerated right protected in our Constitution. However, to this day, voting rights remain elusive, especially for youth and people of color — policies and practices often keep these communities from exercising their right to vote. Democracy For All advocates for legislation and ballot measures that will make our democratic systems more equitable and fair, including initiatives for automatic and same day voter registration, increased access to early voting, redistricting reform, and voting rights restoration.

     2. Voter Registration and Turnout

Democracy For All mobilizes communities whose voting power has been historically  underrepresented in the electorate because of suppression tactics targeting voter registration and voter turnout.  

Through Democracy For All’s voter registration and turnout programs, we are attempting to close the voting gap between people of color and white voters by breaking down barriers to participation and helping people exercise their fundamental right to vote. In addition, we engage young people who will be forced to live with the consequences of our broken system but consistently engage civically at extremely low levels.  We register voters in their communities, run nonpartisan get out the vote efforts, and help recruit poll workers. 

     3. Transformational Community Engagement

Democracy For All connects voter turnout efforts with long-term organizing infrastructure and community-driven campaigns that move people to take collective action.

Democracy For All leverages our massive voter turnout efforts into ongoing, year-round civic engagement.  With a network of 30 state affiliates and LCVEF’s powerful and long-term community organizing programs, Democracy For All is unique in its ability to link voter mobilization with grassroots community engagement. All across the country, we are collaborating with communities to transform their power into an undeniable force for a more inclusive democracy that is responsive to people and their will to protect the planet.  

The communities that are most affected by climate change, pollution and environmental injustice are the same communities that our country has traditionally left out of the democratic process.  We are specifically working to connect single women, people of color, and young people under 35 to our country’s civic process because our democracy fails when any voices are excluded and these communities overwhelmingly want to solve the climate crisis.

The solutions to our environmental and democracy challenges are irrevocably linked. In order to combat the effects of environmental injustice, we must proactively change the governing systems that lead to these outcomes. 

Democracy For All is one of the largest and most dynamic civic engagement programs in the nation and the largest program within the environmental movement. We operate in partnership with 30 state affiliates in the Conservation Voter Movement (CVM), which gives Democracy For All substantial capacity and geographic reach.  

Over the last four election cycles, we have established a track record of running highly effective, research-based programs that are rooted in racial justice and work in collaboration with the communities most impacted by environmental degradation. From helping pass a ballot measure changing the redistricting process in Ohio to running a voter registration campaign targeting underrepresented Latinx communities in Idaho, Democracy For All knows fixing our democracy is key to fixing our environment.