Voter Engagement

As of the 2020 presidential election, the voting-eligible population in the U.S. was just over 239 million people. Nearly 160 million of those eligible voted in the election marking a 66.7% voter turnout. This was a record high but still signifies that about ⅓ of eligible voters didn’t make it to the polls. Meanwhile, 76% of all registered voters in the state of Massachusetts cast their ballots in the 2020 election, surpassing the record from the 2016 election by nearly 300,000 votes. These voter increases are of great importance and require continued community support.

Learn More

Voter Engagement Nonfiction

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Learn More Online

  • Ballotpedia: Ballotpedia is a nonpartisan information source that allows voters to see what will be on their ballots.
  • Don’t Be Fooled!: Learn more about misinformation and media bias using our online subject guide.
  • Election Protection: The national, nonpartisan Election Protection coalition works year-round to ensure that all voters have an equal opportunity to vote and have that vote count. Contact their information and assistance hotline by phone, text, or through the website’s chat feature.
  • Federal Elections Commission: The FEC was created to promote confidence and participation in the democratic process. Browse information about candidates, including financial and legal information.
  • Federal Voting Assistance Program: Provides voting assistance for military service members, their families, and other overseas US citizens.
  • Gov Track: An independent resource allowing users to track federal legislation or see the voting and bill sponsorship records of Representatives and Senators.
  • Massachusetts Voter Resources: Register online to vote, check your voter status, find out where to vote, and more – including recent updates.
  • National Coalition for the Homeless: Voting rights information for people experiencing homelessness.
  • Open Secrets: A nonpartisan, independent, and nonprofit website run by the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy.
  • Pew Research: Pew’s topic page is a good starting point. Relevant topics include: Elections & Campaigns, Polling, Voter Participation, and Voting Process. Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research without taking policy positions.
  • Podcasts:
  • Town of Chelmsford Election Information: For local voting information, sample ballots, precinct maps and voting locations, election results, and more!
  • US Congress: View and follow national proposals and legislative bills.
  • US Election Assistance Commission: EAC is an independent, bipartisan commission serving as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration. EAC also accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems, maintains the national mail voter registration form, and audits the use of HAVA funds.
  • US Vote Foundation: US Vote is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan public charity that develops and provides online tools to assist US citizens living anywhere in the world to register and request their absentee ballot using their state’s specific voter forms.
  • US Voting: Official usa.gov website about voting and elections. Find out about voter registration and how and where to vote. Also learn about voter registration on https://vote.gov/.
  • VOTE411: Massachusetts candidate and election information.
  • Voter Intimidation Law Fact Sheets: View a fact sheet about voter intimidation laws for every state.

Get Involved

Join or support local chapters and organizations:
Join or support national or international organizations:
  • Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote: APIAVote is a national nonpartisan organization that works with partners to mobilize Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in electoral and civic participation.
  • Fair Elections Center: Fair Elections Center engages in a wide variety of advocacy efforts, including producing reports, talking points and fact sheets, providing state voter guides, providing testimony to legislatures, conducting trainings and seminars for organizations and their supporters, litigating voting rights cases in state and federal court, and working directly with local election officials and Secretaries of State to ensure that the right to vote is protected and expanded.
  • National Coalition on Black Civic Participation: A non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to increasing civic engagement and voter participation in Black and underserved communities.
  • National Voter Registration Day: National Voter Registration Day is a nonpartisan civic holiday celebrating our democracy. It is celebrated on the fourth Tuesday of September.
  • Native Vote: A non-partisan organization that helps mobilize and assist native peoples with voting.
  • Nonprofit Vote: Helping non-profit organizations engage their membership in voting.
  • Vote Riders: Vote Riders is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with a mission to ensure that all citizens are able to exercise their right to vote.
  • When We All Vote: A non-profit, nonpartisan organization that is on a mission to increase participation in every election and close the race and age voting gap by changing the culture around voting.
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