pubTalk

Minnesotans – and all Americans for that matter – came out in throngs for yesterday’s election. Roughly 2.8 million Minnesotans voted, and it is one of the best (if not the best) turnout rate in the nation. It was truly exciting to see democracy in full action, and much of that is thanks to an incredible get-out-the-vote effort on the part of nonprofits. All around the state, nonprofits helped get voters into the booth in innovative ways.

For example...TakeAction Minnesota organized translators and drivers to help citizens of the Hmong community and they recruited and trained election judges on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. The YWCA of Minneapolis encouraged its health and fitness members to "exercise�? their right to vote and provided free rides to the polls from all their locations. Child Care WORKS and Minnesota Child Care Resource & Referral Network created voter registration kits for child care providers to help mobilize their parents and staff.

In addition to these great individual efforts, there is also the Minnesota Participation Project – an initiative of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and Grassroots Solutions – that works to support and expand the capacity of Minnesota nonprofits in engaging and mobilizing voters.

Minnesota nonprofits are brimming with great voter engagement work. I would love to hear about other great examples that led to yesterday’s historic election.

Way to go Minnesota, and way to go Minnesota nonprofits!