MOVING VOTING RIGHTS FORWARD

1. MOVING VOTING RIGHTS FORWARD Ellen Buchman Vice President for Field Operations The Leadership Conference Education Fund June 5, 2014

2. Voting Rights Amendment Act • Legislative Threshold: What’s needed in a bill? • Constitutional • Can Pass Congress • Protects Voters From Racial And Ethnic Discrimination

3. Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014 (VRAA) • What did we get in the bill? • Federal Observers • Notice/Transparency • Preclearance Coverage • Enhanced Bail-In Procedures • Preliminary Relief Where It’s Needed

4. What’s Not So Good About This Bill • Voter ID • The narrow, yet problematic, language “carving out” voter ID laws from being cited as a reason for “bailing in” a state or locality for preclearance. • Practice-based Trigger and Other Protections • More is needed to narrow a legislative trigger to further protect minority voters.

5. Communications

6. Overall Message Theme We need modern, commonsense fixes to protect everyone’s right to vote and make sure every American is treated fairly at the ballot box.

7. Initial Messages • Educate • Urgency and Fairness • Threat Real • Support Bipartisanship • Endorse Key Fixes • Not about Politics

8. Audiences

9. Communications Strategies

10. Message Values and Threats Values Threats • Inform • Inoculate against Politics • Modernize • Fairness • Uniformity • Problem Solved • Gov’t Can’t Be Trusted • Overreach • Unequal Treatment • Political • Court Spoken

11. Message Trajectory

12. Week-by-Week Themes and Activities

13. Featured Advertisement

14. Vote for Voting Rights: A New Social Media Campaign Coalition groups will be leading an enhanced social media campaign, in order to synchronize online outreach, involve the base, and demonstrate pressure from civil rights organizations and the general public. The core concept of the campaign is that any time an individual or institution posts on a social media platform (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) about the VRAA, they are casting a “vote” for the VRAA and voting rights. Elements of the new “Vote for Voting Rights” social media campaign include: • Ask: Organizations should ask their members and the public to show why they are “voting” for the VRAA. This includes asking people to post pictures filling out a mock ballot, make a video about why voting rights is important, or write about the importance of free and fair voting. These asks can be disseminated through social media or an email action alert. • Targets: Using Twitter in particular, organizations and individuals should also “tweet at” figures such as Rep. Goodlatte, Rep. Cantor, and others, to ensure they feel the pressure of this new campaign. • Hashtag: The main hashtag for the new voting rights campaign will remain #VRA4Today, as it already has gained awareness and traction after the January rollout.

15. 1. Twitter The goal of the Twitter elements of the campaign is to create an echo chamber of on-message tweets to show escalated pressure on Congress to advance the VRAA and engage more members of the public around this fight. This includes original tweets and steady retweeting, as well as engagement with individuals who are also tweeting. Twitter will also be a great medium to lift up articles, op-eds, and other on-message pieces about the VRAA.

16. Sample Tweets • General • Theright to voteisunderthreatandnowisthe time for Congressto act! RT to castyour vote for#VotingRights!#VRA4Today • It’s time to protecttherightto voteforall. Congress mustensure we have a • #VRA4Today.That’s whywe vote for#VotingRights! • TellCongressto passa modern #VRA toprotectvoters fromraciallydiscriminatory tactics!Learn more: VRA4Today.org#VRA4Today • Directed(othertarget memberscan besubbed in, using thesamelanguage) • @RepGoodlattenow is thetime to move the #VRAAforward. We castourvote for • #VotingRights.Hold ahearingon a modern #VRA4Today! • @RepGoodlatteThe #VRAAhasbipartisan support,andnow is the time to act!Stop stallingon a #VRA4Today • @RepGoodlatteThecivilrights communityis callingon you to act. Hold a hearingand • protectthe right to vote forall#VRA4Today

17. Hashtags #VRA4Today #VotingRights #VRAA #VRA #Voting Targets to TweetAt @RepGoodlatte @GOPLeader(Eric Cantor’s handle) @SpeakerBoehner

18. 2. SampleFacebookPosts • Nowis the time forCongress toactontheVotingRightsAmendmentActandprotect votersfromdiscrimination.Learn more at www.VRAforToday.org&contactyour members ofCongress tocastyour“vote” forVotingRights! • Like and Sharethis tocast YOURvote forvoting rights!Let’stellCongressit’stime to acton amodern, bipartisanVRAthatprotects allvotersand givesequal accesstothe ballotbox www.VRAforToday.org • Weneed yourvoteto pushCongress to actonamodern, bipartisanVRA thatprotectsall voters! VoteforVotingRights at www.VRAforToday.organd tell Congresstoact! • With electionscomingup in November, we need Congress actontheVRAA without delay. Sharethis postand tellus whyyou are casting yourvoteforvotingrights! www.VRAforToday.org • What’s YOURreasonto vote forvotingrights?Share yourstorybelow to show Congress • it’s time to actona modernVotingRights Acttoday!

19. 3. Instagram If your organization has an Instagram account, this is a great place to post a picture of your leadership or staff supporting the VRAA, possibly by casting a mock ballot, visiting a polling place, or writing a short sentence about why you support Voting Rights and how Congress must act. These pictures are also good for twitter. Membership organizations can also ask their members to post a pic to Instagram showing why they vote for voting rights with the hashtag #VRA4Today. 4. Organizations to follow and retweet: • @CivilRightsOrg; www.facebook.com/civilandhumanrights • @NAACP_LDF • @LawyersComm https://www.facebook.com/lawyerscommittee • @MALDEF; https://www.facebook.com/MALDEF • @ACLU; https://www.facebook.com/aclu.nationwide • @BrennanCenter – https://www.facebook.com/BrennanCenter • @myconstitution • @LWV; https://www.facebook.com/leagueofwomenvoters • @NAACPNVF; https://www.facebook.com/NAACPNVF • @NALEO; https://www.facebook.com/NALEOMembers • @ProjectVote; https://www.facebook.com/ProjectVote • @866OurVote; https://www.facebook.com/866OurVote • @fairelections; https://www.facebook.com/FairElectionsLegalNetwork • @adv_project; https://www.facebook.com/AdvancementProject • @Demos_Org; https://www.facebook.com/DemosIdeasAction •@CommonCause; https://www.facebook.com/CommonCause

20. Field

21. Suggested Field Actions • What we need? • In-district visits • Letters to the Editor • Provide information • Visit www.VRA4Today.org

22. May28, 2014 Dear Members of Congress: As organizations that collectivelyrepresenttens of millions of diversepeople offaith across the United States, wewriteto shareour strongsupport forthe VotingRights Amendment Act of 2014 (H.R. 3899/S.1945) and urgeits swift passagebyboth chambers of Congress. Manypeople offaithproudlyfought for theVotingRights Act (VRA)of 1965, which tookhistoric steps to prohibitthe discriminatoryvotingpractices thatdenied and abridgedthe rights of so many in our communities. TheSupreme Court's2013 decision inShelby Countyv. Holder, which stripped critical protections forvotersin strikingdown akeyprovision oftheVRA, reminds us that our work is far from complete. Theteachings of our respective faiths maydivergeon issues of theologyand practice, butallspeak clearlyof the imperativeto pursuejustice andtreateach andeveryhumanbeingwith dignity and respect. Weareunited instandingup for those mostatrisk ofhavingtheirvoices silencedat the ballot box.We areinspired todo what wecan toprotect the right of each individual toplayarole in shapingthe futureof our cities, towns, states and nation. What is at stakein this fight is the very natureof our society,whetherwecan truly callourselves ademocracyin which eachcitizencan cast a vote to chooseourleadersand shapethe direction ofour country. ChiefJusticeRoberts called upon Congress to update theVotingRights Act. Everydaythat passes withoutCongressional action brings newvotingproceduresunreported at best and outright discriminatoryat worst. This billis not perfect. Weremain concerned that voterID laws are treated differentlyfrom otherpotentiallydiscriminatorypolicies and that a“known practices” formula, which would provide recourseagainstsome ofthe most common discriminatorypractices, is notincluded. Yet, weareunited in thebelief thatnow is thetime to build on the critical tools in this legislation and stop discriminatoryvotingpractices wherever theyoccur. Votingrights legislation has longbeen—andcontinues to be—ashining exampleof bipartisan unity. Weurgeyou to support the VotingRights Amendment Act of 2014(H.R. 3899/S.1945) and seethat its modern, commonsenseprovisions are swiftlyenacted. Thankyou foryour consideration. Sincerely, Faith Letter

23. Capuchin Franciscans ofthe Provinceof St. Mary(CT, ME, NH, NY, VT) • Communityof Christ • Conferenceof NationalBlack Churches (CNBC) • Congregation BeitSimchat Torah, New York,NY • Disciples CenterforPublic Witness (Disciples ofChrist) • Disciples HomeMissionsof theChristian Church (Disciples ofChrist) • Disciples JusticeAction Network • EvangelicalLutheran Church in America • Faith in PublicLife • Franciscan Action Network • FranciscanFriars, TOR,Provinceof theImmaculateConception • Franciscans for Justice • Friends Committeeon NationalLegislation • Global Faith and JusticeProject, Santa Fe,NM • Global JusticeInstitute • Hindu AmericanFoundation • International CouncilofCommunityChurches • Islamic Societyof NorthAmerica • Jewish AllianceforLawand Social Action(JALSA) • Jewish CommunityAction • Jewish CommunityRelations Councilof GreaterBoston • Jewish CouncilforPublicAffairs • Jewish Councilon Urban Affairs • Jewish Labor Committee • Jewish ReconstructionistCommunities • Jewish WomenInternational • Jews for Racial and EconomicJustice • Jews United forJustice Faith Letter

24. Keshet • Leadership Conferenceof Women Religious • Leadership Team of theFelician Sisters of North America • Leadership Team, Sistersof St. Francis ofTiffin,OH • MennoniteCentral CommitteeU.S. Washington Office • Metropolitan CommunityChurches • MoreLight Presbyterians • National Councilof Churches, U.S.A. National Councilof Jewish Women • National Councilof Jewish Women, Austin Section • National Councilof Jewish Women, Maine Section • National Councilof Jewish Women, PeninsulaSection • National Councilof Jewish Women, Seattle Section • National Councilof Jewish Women, Texas StatePolicyAdvocacyNetwork • National GayandLesbian Task Force’sInstituteforWelcomingResources • NETWORK, ANationalCatholic Social JusticeLobby • PaxChristi USA • PICO National Network • Presbyterian Church(U.S.A.) • ProgressiveNationalBaptist Convention, Inc. • Provinceof St. Joseph ofthe Capuchin Order, Detroit,MI • Rabbinical Assembly • Reconciliation Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) • Reconciling Ministries Network • ReconcilingWorks: Lutherans for Full Participation • Reconstructionist Rabbinical College • Religious Institute Faith Letter

25. Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) • Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE) • Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, PA • Sisters of St. Francis, Sylvania, OH Sojourners • Surat Initiative • The Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists • The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries • The Solomon Project • The Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring • Union for Reform Judaism • Unitarian Universalist Association • United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries • United Methodist Church-General Board of Church and Society • UNITED SIKHS • Uri L’tzedek • Valley Interfaith Council • Wheaton Franciscans, Wheaton, IL • Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER) Faith Letter

26. Thank You Ellen Buchman Vice President for Field Operations The Leadership Conference Education Fund March 5, 2014