Pushing Forward: Forging Statewide Collaborations

To build sufficient power advance social and economic justice, we need a coordinated movement. A key part of our strategy is to collaborate with the ecosystem of local and state organizations working to expand the electorate.

Over the last 2 years California Calls has launched three power building projects in California:

CALIFORNIA MILLION VOTERS PROJECT

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This multi-year strategic collaboration is working to transform the California electorate to build towards bold transformative change by turning out one million voters to the polls. Bringing together the strongest community-based networks with significant integrated voter engagement experience, the MVP includes 47 local affiliates in 24 counties of the state and has welcomed in three new groups in 2017 – Asian American Pacific Islanders for Civic Engagement, the Orange County Table, and YVote . Together, we work to engage low-income residents, immigrants, youth and communities of color over time through one-to-one outreach and year-round education and organizing. In 2016, the MVP mounted signature gathering, voter registration, and get-out-the-vote activities, dramatically increasing voter turnout.

CALIFORNIA AFRICAN AMERICAN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT

We Are Powerful

Recognizing the systemic, racial barriers that cause African-Americans to experience high rates of homelessness, incarceration, and unemployment—the African American Civic Engagement Project is a statewide effort to build the electoral power of African-Americans in traditional urban hubs and suburban areas. Twelve groups working in youth development, homeless and re-entry services, and women’s empowerment are now entering their second year of training and capacity building to reach and motivate Black voters. In November 2016, over 21,000 voters were contacted. In 2017, AACEP is working to re-contact these voters and encourage their involvement in local community meetings and other actions.

BUILDING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES INTEGRATED VOTER ENGAGEMENT PROJECT

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San Diego and Orange Counties, along with many places in the Central, Inland and Sacramento Valleys, represent a “fish hook” geographic pattern long considered a stronghold for traditional voters—older, more, and more conservative. However, these areas have experienced rapid demographic changes where younger, immigrant and Latino populations are increasing. Launched in early 2017, this project works with six community-based groups from the California Endowment’s Building Healthy Communities program in youth services, environmental justice, health education and farmworker empowerment. California Calls and PICO California will provide support to train and pilot integrated voter engagement programs to increase the participation of underrepresented voters. Find out more about the Building Healthy Communities Integrated Voter Engagement Project, click here.

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Pushing Back: Using Voter Power to Resist the Trump Agenda

The large-scale, sophisticated voter engagement systems we have built over the last 8 years reached a new level of impact in California in the November 2016 election—mobilizing over 282,000 young voters, immigrants, Latinos and African-Americans, and new and infrequent voters in low-income communities. Our total voter base has now grown to over 715,000 people who support progressive tax and fiscal reforms, and social equity in California.

Our California Calls alliance—stretching from Oakland to San Diego, Ventura to Bakersfield, Los Angeles to San Bernardino, and San Francisco to Fresno—now represents 31 organizations in 21 counties, and operated 15 Get-Out-The-Vote Centers last fall.

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This work has resulted in underrepresented voters playing a critical role in changing the California electorate. In November 2016—in sharp contrast to the disastrous national election results—California voters gave strong approval to ballot measures which will now provide new revenues for K-12 schools (Prop 55), health care (Prop 56)—and begin to shift the state away from incarceration, and towards prevention and treatment (Prop. 57).

THE “Fight4OurHealth”

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Alongside our statewide allies in the “Fight4OurHealth” Coalition, in January, California Calls dove into the battle to protect the Affordable Care Act which has expanded health coverage for over 5 million Californians. Our anchors lit up the phone lines and knocked on doors, contacting 40,000 voters and generating nearly 4,000 patch-through calls and letters to legislators urging them to protect the Affordable Care Act. Despite having all 14 of California’s Republican Representatives vote yes on the House version of a replacement, the huge fight back waged by “Fight4OurHealth” has paid off, with the Republican Senate still unable to win a decisive vote.

SANCTUARY FOR ALL

18278384_1480907405286638_7115027689213969016_oImmediately after the reports of increased immigrant raids across the state, California Calls mobilized our anchors to urge state lawmakers to pass the California Values Act (SB54) and prevent our public resources from fueling Trump’s hateful deportation machine. Through phone banks, door-to-door outreach, and digital organizing, California Calls leveraged its voter engagement power joining the ICE Out of California Coalition’s campaign to make California a Sanctuary State. We contacted 9,000 voters and generated over 2,500 patch through calls and letters to state representatives to express support of SB54. This pressure has been critical in countering the active opposition of the California Sheriffs’ Association, who is collaborating with ICE to weaken or kill the bill. SB54 has passed the State Senate and three Assembly Committees, and will move to a full vote of the Assembly later this summer.

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The Million Voters Project Launches largest grassroots civic engagement program in the state

On October 3rd California Calls announced the official launch of the Million Voters Project (MVP) – a collaboration of California’s strongest community-based networks working across the state to mobilize Black, Latino, and Asian Pacific Islander families, immigrants, refugees, faith-based constituencies, formerly incarcerated people, and young voters.

The six organizations that make up the Million Voters Project – Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN), California Calls, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), Mobilize the Immigrant Vote (MIV), and PICO California – have joined forces to lead the largest grassroots civic engagement program in the state.

From August to the October 24th deadline, MVP has registered over 80,000 voters, and will contact 650,000 infrequent voters over the phone and in face-to-face conversations to motivate them to the polls on Election Day.

As part of the fall civic engagement program MVP Action Fund created a voter guide with recommendations on key initiatives and everything voters need to know before they cast their vote.

These recommendations were developed through careful research and review by the MVP partners. We took “yes” and “no” positions on 6 high priority measures where we all agreed, and provide information on the other 11 propositions. Check out the voter guide in English and Spanish.

You can help get out the vote in your community. MVP has volunteer opportunities across the state by signing up to volunteer with a MVP Partner.

Million Voters Project (MVP) is a collaboration of California’s strongest community-based networks: Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN), California Calls, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), Mobilize the Immigrant Vote (MIV), and PICO California, with support from the nation’s largest online Latino organizing group, Presente.org.

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