Project TEAL - #VoiceforVoting

#Voice For Voting

Voice for Voting is a Project TEAL campaign in support of Freedom to Vote Act. With the 2024 presidential elections coming up, it’s important to be aware of the rights that you may (or may not) have when you cast your ballot. Project TEAL’s mission is to raise awareness on unfair election practices such as gerrymandering, polling place accessibility, and voter registration. The government should not stand in the way of youth voices, but instead, project them. Stand with Project TEAL and Representative John Sarbanes to advocate for the Freedom to Vote Act and secure the true voting rights each US citizen deserves.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/11?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22hr11%22%7D&s=3&r=1

Policy Brief

Introduction:

Throughout the United States, there are many practices that suppress voting, such as banning ballot drop boxes, implementing photo-ID restrictions on mail in voting, and increasing mail-in voting expenses. The Freedom to Vote Act combats these barriers with clear guidelines that allow people from any background or situation to vote.

Issues the bill addresses:

Gerrymandering/Districting
- Gerrymandering occurs when government officials manipulate the boundaries of electoral districts to favor their particular political party or group. In the 2020 redistricting cycle, over 30 states were subject to gerrymandering including 10 out of the 15 battleground states. The Freedom to Vote Act requires states to use independent, nonpartisan redistricting commissions to draw congressional district boundaries.
Voter Registration
- The Freedom to Vote Act encourages all citizens to exercise their right to vote by making voting more accessible nationally. In 2022, 69.1% of eligible US citizens were registered to vote. The bill introduces several key measures to register more voters. The bill mandates Automatic Voter Registration, which registers eligible voters automatically when they visit places like the Department of Motor Vehicles and other social services. It also establishes secure online voter registration platforms, making the process more accessible and user-friendly. The bill additionally requires polling places to enact same-day registration, enabling individuals to register to vote at their polling place on election day.
Voting Access
- For many Americans, voting is inaccessible due to having disabilities, living in rural areas, and other barriers. This act addresses these issues by allowing all eligible voters to request mail-in ballots, allowing citizens to vote from anywhere no matter their situation. Additionally, the act gives people a minimum of 15 days of early voting before Election Day, including weekends, and allows people to register to vote on Election Day, making voting more convenient and accessible.
Election Integrity and Security
- In order to ensure fair elections, the Freedom to Vote Act requires the use of paper ballots, either marked by hand or with a ballot marking device, and requires that election officials keep ballots until the election results have been verified.
Campaign Finances
- In this election cycle alone, both candidates have accumulated over 30% of their campaign funds from individual contributions that are less than $200. With so much of the campaign funding coming from everyday people, it's crucial to know where that money is going. The act highlights this by pushing for campaign finance transparency for all contributors, big and small.
Voter Suppression
- Another main focus of the bill is voter suppression. Since the beginning of 2023, over 100 bills have been introduced in state legislatures aimed at restricting voting access. This act aims to address the nationwide suppression by limiting strict voter ID laws and prohibiting voter roll purges, which is the process of removing voters from the official list of registered voters.

Lobby day

Join us on September 26 at 4:30 CST for an email/phonebanking event in support of the Freedom to Vote Act. Activists will be supplied and prepared with the resources they need to be successful lobbyists. Sign up with the link in our Instagram's bio area and access Project TEAL's resources, such as our policy brief, and call script. Make sure to follow our Instagram account for more on this campaign.

*Sample call script

Hello, my name is _____ from _______. I’m calling on behalf of Project TEAL, a student-led, non-partisan organization dedicated to revitalizing democracy, to express my strong support for the Freedom to Vote Act (H.R. 11), introduced by Representative John Sarbanes. This bill will allow voting to be a more efficient and fair process. There are many issues with our current voting system including gerrymandering, general voting access for the American people, and voter registration, all of which are addressed in the Freedom to Vote Act. I urge [Representative/Senator/Office’s Name] to support this bill and help ensure fair and accessible elections. Thank you for your time.

Action You Can Take After Calling

Participate in or form local committees dedicated to supporting election reform and tracking legislative progress.
Distribute resources and educational materials to help others understand the bill’s impact and importance.
Add your name to petitions that call for the passage of the Freedom to Vote Act.
Support related reforms.

Some pictures from our Lobby Day! We called a total of 92 Congressmen and Congresswomen across states like Illinois, California, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and many more!