PROJECT OVERVIEW
P.A.C.E. has proudly partnered with redefinED Atlanta for three cycles of voter participation campaigns aimed at increasing rates of voter registration and turnout among families at a handful of public schools. When we talk about voter participation, we are referring to activities that (1) register families, staff, and age-eligible students to vote, (2) educate those constituencies on what’s at stake in the election, (3) activate them to make a plan to vote and (3) get-out-the-vote (GOTV). In these partnerships, P.A.C.E. has provided strategy, project management, technical, creative, and communications support to a handful of schools with whom redefinED has developed strong relationships.
RESULTS
33% Turnout
November 2021
Atlanta held elections for mayor, city council members, and APS school board members in November 2021.
61% Turnout
November 2022
In November 2022, Atlanta voters headed to the polls with the rest of the country for midterm elections. They voted for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, Governor, and Lieutenant Governor. They also elected people to statewide and local offices like state Senate and House, Secretary of State, and State Superintendent of Schools.
11.3% Turnout
November 2023
We partnered with redefinED Atlanta for a third cycle of voter participation for the November 2023 Board of Education election. Notably, citywide turnout in a school board race dropped from 18.7% in 2021 to 7.2%. But, voters at partner schools exceeded Atlanta’s citywide turnout and voted at 11.3% this year, surpassing the double digit marker in an otherwise very low turnout election.
PROJECT SUMMARY
Perhaps more resonant than the data is that, as one Atlanta educator shared in a campaign debrief meeting, “the voting message has now become part of the brand and fabric of our school.”
We’ve come to believe these efforts can help schools build a culture of voting and advocacy through meaningful civic engagement with their families, staff and even eligible students. This culture of voting advocacy not only helps activate schools’ most captive audiences but also helps leaders develop a better understanding of their surrounding communities and how to engage elected officials.
We hope these results will encourage more leaders and educators to systematically invest and engage in voter participation efforts to build a foundational culture of advocacy and voting at their schools.
