2009 Democracy Summer

The summer of 2009 marked the tenth anniversary of the Democracy Summer program, and this year’s class proved to be exceptional! Ten students worked in pairs in five counties across North Carolina: Charlotte, Durham, Fayetteville, Greensboro and Greenville. This year’s group of students included seven people of color and eight women, representing UNC-Chapel Hill, Johnson C. Smith, NC State, Fayetteville State and NC A&T. The student organizers and their supervisors focused on education, legislative advocacy and grassroots organizing around several reform bills: S-966, Council of State Voter Owned Elections; H-120, Local Voter Owned Elections; and H-1260, Youth Pre-Registration and Education.

 

At the same time, the teams worked to engage and build Democracy NC’s base of support. Democracy North Carolina’s staff set ambitious basebuilding, outreach and grassroots lobbying goals for the 2009 legislative session, and the student organizers worked extremely hard to meet them. In just nine weeks, the students accomplished many great things, including:

• Contacting more than 10,000 Democracy NC supporters and frequent voters in support of campaign finance reform legislation;
• Generating over 1,000 phone calls, 500 emails, and 400 hand-written post cards to NC legislators in support of Voter Owned Elections;
• Speaking to over 40 civic groups and community organizations about Democracy NC’s work;
• Earning 10 media hits (TV, radio, news articles, letters to editor) about Voter Owned Elections, Youth Pre-Registration and Democracy North Carolina;
• Meeting one on one or in small groups with over 80 Democracy Advocates, community leaders, and elected officials to build relationships and gain support for election reform and voting rights;
• Completing two research projects that help inform Democracy NC’s work. One report focused on campaign contributions from political appointees and the other developed youth services maps in five NC counties, which will help us implement the new Pre-Registration law for 16-17 olds in NC.
• Hosting 11 house parties and donor meetings with supporters across NC to help raise over $2,000 to support the Democracy Summer program and other Dem NC work.

 

2008 Democracy Summer

During the summer of 2008, Democracy Summer student organizers were frequently on the move. They worked in teams located in Greenville, Charlotte, Salisbury and Fayetteville, NC. Much of their activity was driven by the 2008 election season, which included a highly contested primary plus a General Election that saw candidates vying for office on the local, state and national levels. Student organizers made a big difference early on in the election cycle by participating in meetings with board of elections officials in their communities and advocating for more early voting sites as well as extended early voting hours. They also gave public presentations on key issues, conducted door-to-door canvasses, met with elected officials, planned community rallies and forums, signed up Democracy NC volunteers and advocated for campaign finance reform and voting rights in NC. In addition, student organizers mobilized students and other voters, registered new voters, educated ex-felons on their voting rights and participated in a variety of other GOTV activities.

 

2007: Victory! SDR & Council of State Public Financing

In 2007, Democracy Summer organizers delivered thousands of letters from voters to legislators in support of bills calling for Same Day Voter Registration (SDR) and a public financing pilot for three NC Council of State races.

 

They also mobilized hundreds of voters to call their elected leaders, organized meetings on two separate lobby days and worked with the media to publish dozens of positive letters and editorials for these reforms.

 

Student organizers experienced how advocacy groups and coalitions affect policy making and how people working together can accomplish real political change.

 

2006: Grassroots Lobbying Sets the Stage

2006 Democracy Summer students focused their efforts towards two of our legislative agenda items: Same Day Voter Registration and HB1851, the legislative public campaign financing pilot program bill. Student organizers helped motivate over 1,000 citizens to lobby their legislators through signed postcards and resolutions, phone calls and visits to the NC General Assembly. In addition, they generated more than 24 media hits on campaign reform issues, completed 20 speaking engagements and met one-on-one with elected officials and community leaders.

 

2005: Youth Reaching Out to Youth

Probably the most memorable accomplishment from 2005 was the completion of the Youth and Voting Survey. The teams surveyed over 500 North Carolinians aged 18-24 years-old regarding their attitudes and knowledge of elections and voting in the state. Through the survey results the teams conducted media tours in their geographic areas and were on television, radio, and print media across the state. The major conclusion of the study was that Same Day Voter Registration would increase the registration rate and voter turnout of young people.

 

2004: Reaching Underserved Regions

During the summer of 2004 one team of students working in eastern North Carolina recruited 18 volunteers to help register minority voters and in one day registered over 170 new voters. The registration drive was featured on the local news programs, radio shows, and newspapers due to the diligent media work by these Democracy Summer participants. All told the Democracy Summer teams registered over 1,100 new voters.

 

2003: Our Color of Money Research Goes National

In 2003, the Democracy Summer teams helped to research and launch the Color of Money Report, which received widespread media coverage. The teams helped research campaign contributor information and held press conferences in their areas. The report received coverage in the Washington Post and ended up on the front page of USA Today. The study is a comprehensive look at gender and race trends among major campaign contributors in North Carolina.