Votinglinks An internet site of links and other information sources to encourage widespread popular participation in the political process in the United States, with an emphasis on         --grass-roots progressivism by moderates and liberals,         --voting registration, turnout, and elections,         --citizen participation in government and contact with elected representatives,         --broad popular participation (Democratic, Republican, and independent). Votinglinks is         --run with very minimal resources, so will be very simple for foreseeable future,         --intended to be an information resource only; it does not endorse any organization or group listed. Use due diligence when dealing with the organizations listed here. Items will be added as they are identified and as resources permit. Comments on current items and suggestions for additional ones are welcome. E-mail: admin AT votinglinks DOT org         (Comments and suggestions welcome!) Votinginks Blog: http://www.votinglinks.blogspot.com ___________________________________ Grassroots Action Resources Wiki Civic Actions http://www.civicactions.org         Civic Actions is a wiki for grassroots organizations. Pretty quiet now. Perhaps will be more active as election nears. However, many resources if you look around. Voter Registration Drives and GOTV links Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. http://www.enterprisecommunity.org/resources/policyinfo/index.asp (Click on ‘State and Local Public Policy’ link to find --The Legislative Process --Websites for State Lobbying Laws and Registration Forms --State Voter Registration Deadlines --Voter Registration Campaigns and Resources)         Enterprise Community Partners is a large non-profit corporation devoted to developing low-income communities with a focus on low-income and affordable housing. The page referenced above has valuable information for voter registration, and many links to organizations that provide assistance for voter registration drives. National Voice GOTV toolkit http://www.mnaonline.org/pdf/govtoolkit.pdf#search='GOTV%20toolkit' (pdf) http://www.nationalvoice.org/library/382613/GOTV_Toolkit_2004_10_20.doc (MS Word) Campaign for Young Voters GOTV http://www.campaignyoungvoters.org         Contains detailed GOTV toolkit. Pretty coy about who they are, funded by Pew foundation, managed by George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management. Democracy and  College Student Voting http://www.salisbury.edu/pace/publications/welcome.html         (Click on link to most recent version of 'Democracy and College Student Voting')         Report on barriers to voter registration for students away from home -in different part of their home state or in a different state. Report contains detailed information on each state’s residency requirements and voter registration process. FairVote http://www.fairvote.org/?page=1543 (FairVotes project page: The 100% Registration Project)         A project by FairVote (see below) to vastly increase voter registration. Rock the Vote http://www.rockthevote.org         Good source for instant voter registration deadlines and forms, etc., that can be printed from internet. Active Vote http://www.activoteamerica.com         Has voter registration program, and cooperates with local groups and organizations. Association of University Women http://www.aauw.org/issue_advocacy/voter_ed/Woman-to-WomanVoterTurnout.cfm (You must join in order to receive)         Woman to Woman voter GOTV guide. National Voice http://www.nationalvoice.org         Coalition of non-partisan and non-profit groups for GOTV. Seems quiescent now, but may spring to life later. Youth Vote Coalition http://www.youthvote.org/voter         Twenty local chapters around US that provide assistance for local youth GOTV campaigns. Youth is defined as 18 to 30 years of age ‘Voter Resources’ and ‘Get Involved!’ have lots of info. Black Voter Network http://www.blackvoternetwork.com         Click on ‘Elections 2004 Resources: Get out the Vote and Voter Protection’ -an extensive links page (to be updated for 2006 election?) Just Democracy http://www.justdemocracy.org         Blurb:' HOW JD Helps: Just Democracy mobilized a nationwide network of law school students to help voters at high-risk polling places exercise their rights, to ensure that eligible voters are not wrongly turned away and that election law is properly applied.' Resources for Poll Watching and Election Integrity Monitoring Count the Vote: guide for establishing a poll-watching group http://www.countthevote.org/pollwatching.htm         Emphasis on Diebold voting machines in Georgia. National Democratic Institute for International Affairs http://www.ndi.org         This groups focuses on foreign elections, but might be a good source of information on resources for US elections. National Ballot Integrity Project http://www.ballotintegrity.org         Has program to assist local grassroots organizations with efforts to protect election integrity. Yes Magazine http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=1136 (Election protection 2004 project page)         Page that documents their 2004 election integrity projects, which included efforts against minority voter suppression. VoterAction http://www.voteraction.org         Blurb: ‘Voter Action is a not-for-profit organization that provides legal, research and organizing support to ensure election integrity in the United States. Our current focus is to protect as many jurisdictions as possible from the acquisition and use of privatized, electronic voting systems...' Verified Voting Foundation Projects http://www.verifiedvotingfoundation.org/article.php?list=type&type=73 (Click to links of interest: Election Administration Election Incidents State/Local Organizing Voting Information Voting Standards)         The Verified Voting (see below) projects listed involve, among other things, cooperation with local grassroots and non-partisan groups to ensure honest elections Voter Fraud Alert Sites dKosopedia Voter Registration Fraud Alert site http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki/Voter_Registration_Fraud_Clearinghouse         Only Democratic Party associate site I could find. Despite title, seems to cover all voting and election fraud and irregularities. Blogs for Bush http://www.blogsforbush.com/mt/archives/cat_election/voter_fraud_alert.html         GOP voter law and election fraud site Monitoring Issues and Contacting Elected Officials Project Vote Smart http://www.vote-smart.org         Provides information on candidates for national and state races. Has gimmick to locate local races, but entered my hometown and asked for state legislative races, and saw all districts for state. Still seems useful, though. Also has position statements, interest group ratings, voting records and finance info. On The Issues http://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm         Voting records and issues statements by official and issue. StateLine http://www.stateline.org         State government and issues news site. Congress.org http://www.congress.org         Site providing service for information on, and contacts to governmental officials at all levels State and Local Government Information http://www.statelocalgov.net Directory for contacts for state and lical goverment offices and officials. Reference Links Politics and Voting at About.com http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/thepoliticalsystem         Good source for introductions and general information. National Association of Secretaries of State http://www.nass.org/sos/sosflags.html         Links to secretary of state office internet sites for all 50. Voter registrar information at ActiveVote http://activote.speakout.com/resources.asp         Links to state level resources on voter registration and election, including secretary of state internet sites, for all 50. United States Election Project http://elections.gmu.edu         From election and redistricting expert at George Mason University and Brookings. Information on turnout, registration, % of population ineligible to vote, redistricting, link page for state internet sites with detailed information. Reference Books         These can be purchased at Amazon or Barnes & Noble --How To Win A Local Election, Revised: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide, by Lawrence Grey, NY NY, M. Evans and Company, 1999.         Recommended by dKosopedia, at DailyKos --Winning Local and State Elections, by Ann Beaudry, NY NY, The Free Press, 1998.         Positive blurb by Jim Hightower. --How to Run for Local Office: A Complete, Step-By-Step Guide that Will Take You Through the Entire Process of Running and Winning a Local Election, by Robert J. Thomas, Doug Gowen (Ed.), R & T Enterprises, Inc., 1999.         Note: The next six books are results of empirical studies, or concern research methodology and analysis. Votinginks knows statistics, and these are good on that score. Don’t know what voting and campaign workers would think. No applied instruction books or guides devoted to political polling or ads seem to exist. More books will be added, time and resources permitting. --Get Out the Vote: How to Increase Voter Turnout, by Donald P. Green, Alan S. Gerber, Washington DC, Brookings Institution Press, 2004.         Reports results of randomized experiments on various GOTV techniques. Hint on bottom line: personal is powerful and versatile, and face to face may win the race. --Campaigning for Hearts and Minds: How Emotional Appeals in Political Ads Work (Studies in Communication, Media, and Public Opinion), by Ted Brader, Chicago IL, University Of Chicago Press, 2006.         Empirical analysis of psychological experiments using ads run during real campaigns. Hint on bottom line: appeal to the heart is more important that to mind and often works in surprising ways. --Democracy at Risk: How Political Choices Undermine Citizen Participation, and What We Can Do About It, by Stephen Macedo et al, Washington DC, Brookings Institution Press, 2005.         Wonky book, stronger on medium and long-range organization building, but some interesting information, if you can wade through the political science speak. --Designing Surveys, Ronald Czaja and Johnny Blair, Thousand Oaks CA, Pine Forge Press, 2005.         Very clear, easy to use, and simple instructions for designing and administering your own survey or poll. All required math calculations are very elementary and easy, with examples. Very good summary of everything you need to know from question design to presentation of results. --The Psychology of Survey Response, by Roger Tourangeau, Lance J. Rips, and Kenneth Rasinski, NY NY, Cambridge University Press 2000.         Clear explanations and examples of how to design survey questions, and (often very severe) problems that result if design is flawed. --Focus Groups as Qualitative Research, by David L. Morgan, Thousand Oaks CA, Sage Publications, 1996.         Easy book on how to conduct and analyze focus group research. Democratic Party and Associated Groups GOTV site for Democrats http://www.growdems.org         Lots of information and resources for grassroots organization and action. DailyKos Sites http://www.dkosopedia.com (Encyclopedic coverage of politics and government for dKossians and others) http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki/dKosopedia:Community_Portal (Site for those who want to get involved)         Look around these sites for many resources not listed here. Wikipedia State Democratic Party Links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Democratic_Party_Links Democratic Party Fifty State Strategy http://www.democrats.org/a/party/a_50_state_strategy Howard Dean’s Blog http://www.blogforamerica.com Moderate/Progressive Republican Groups ModerateRepublican.net http://moderaterepublican.net         Blurb: ‘Taking the progressive-conservative path in public policy.’ Links to other Republican groups with progressive agendas. National Organizations with Some GOTV and Election Integrity Programs League of Women Voters http://www.lwv.org         Click on 'Voter Information' FairVote Organization http://www.fairvote.org Civilrights http://www.civilrights.org Civilrights’ election reform page http://www.civilrights.org/campaigns/election%5Freform Election Integrity Organizations and Blogs (including electronic voting) United States Election Assistance Commission http://www.eac.gov          United States Government Commission with voter integrity resources. Fair and Free elections http://www.votetrustusa.org         Has several election reform initiative underway. Voters Unite http://www.votersunite.org         Includes a very good listing of state voter integrity sites. Blackboxvoting (the dot com group) http://blackboxvoting.com         Includes list of election and voting technology experts Blackboxvoting (the dot org group) http://www.blackboxvoting.org Verified Voting http://verifiedvoting.org         Easily accessed state-by-state information on election law and regulations, with emphasis on electronic voting. Brad Blog http://www.bradblog.com         Blog tracking developments in elections, voting, and voting technology. DailyKoso dKosopedia Election Experts List http://www.dKosopedia.com/wiki/List_of_election_integrity_experts DailyKos dKosopedia Election integrity links http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki/List_of_voting_rights_organizations         Extensive annotated list for international, national, state and local groups. State by state listing of organizations. Definitely check out this site if you are looking for an election integrity organization in your state. Sacramento for Democracy http://sacramentofordemocracy.org/index.php?q=node/view/2570         Their extensive links page, not annotated. Special Issues and Populations Immigrant Voting Project http://www.immigrantvoting.org         Seeking to restore the right to vote for immigrants in local elections, which has been lost in most areas. Right To Vote http://www.righttovote.org/index.asp         Coalition of groups working to end discrimination felony disenfranchisement. Provides assistance to local organizations. Brennan Center Democracy Program http://www.brennancenter.org/programs/programs_dem.html (Click on ‘Voting and Representation Project’ and ‘Voter Choice Project’)         Projects to protect voting rights for minorities, restore them for people with a history of criminal convictions, and enlarge opportunities for third party and independent candidates to participate in elections. FairVote http://www.fairvote.org/?page=1736 (FairVotes project page: The Municipal Right to Vote)          Project to end discriminatory state and local registration laws. Election Law Resources FindLaw .http://news.findlaw.com/legalnews/us/politics         Findlaws election law coverage is on its politics page. Election Law Blog http://www.electionlawblog.org          Ultra-Wonky VoteLaw http://www.votelaw.com/blog         Seems to be mostly post news articles on election law developments. Campaign Legal Center http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org         Seems to take good stands on issues, ol' Norm Ornstein on advisory board. Organizations Providing Grassroots Support and Training The Wellstone Foundation http://wellstone.org Camp Wellstone http://wellstone.org/camp/index.aspx         A Foundation for grassroots action founded in memory of Paul Wellstone, includes training programs. Volunteer Solutions http://www.volunteersolutions.org         A volunteer finding and matching service associated with United Way. They have had a special ‘election match’ service for recent elections. Grassroots solutions http://www.grassrootssolutions.com         Provides resources, training, consulting and volunteer finding services for grassroots projects. They have had special election GOTV programs for recent elections. Organizers’ Collaborative http://organizerscollaborative.org Northern California Grantmakers http://www.ncg.org/toolkit         Grant funding for voter participation, voter education, and public policy grants. This is an organization serving philanthropic foundations, and is written from the funder's point of view.Contains lots legal info and examples of successful initiatives.  OSI-Baltimore http://www.soros.org/initiatives/baltimore         Part of Open Society Institute, a Soros foundation. Blurb: ‘OSI-Baltimore seeks to foster debate, empower marginalized groups to help shape and monitor public policy, and strengthen communities and families in the Baltimore, Maryland area through the development of fair, rational, and responsive public systems’ OSI's Youth Initiatives http://www.soros.org/initiatives/youth         Part of Open Society Institute, a Soros foundation. OSI's Blurb: Youth Initiatives aim to develop the analytical, research, and self-expression skills that young people need to think critically about their world and to engage actively in U.S. society. _____________________________________________________________ Last updated on July 15, 2006.