Dear ,

Today we hosted our first civic engagement training for 2023. We were overbooked and had to cut off registration. Why?

People in our network know how important the 2023 elections are for the future of Virginia. We want to know which candidates will make ending poverty a priority. We want elected leaders who recognize economic and racial disparities and will seek to make Virginia more equitable.

And thus we are planning candidate forums (jointly with the League of Women Voters and the NAACP), recruiting congregations to work with us on becoming 100 percent voting congregations, and encouraging "low propensity" voters and unregistered people to go to the polls and vote through postcarding and canvassing.

Voter turnout is historically low in the year before the presidential election. It has ranged from 28 to 42 percent in the last 20 years.  So if you could help us get your congregation to be 100 percent voting, you'd probably double the number of folks who vote from your congregation.  Or you could handwrite postcards to infrequent voters. Or you could help us this fall canvass in neighborhoods with historically low voter turnout.

And given the overwhelming response to today's civic engagement training, we will be scheduling more in regions around the state.  Stay tuned.

Most of our civic engagement work will be focused on turnout for the general election, November 7, but of course in many districts, the primary election will determine the candidate (in districts that are strongly Republican or strongly Democrat). The primary election is soon -- June 20, so make sure you know your district and encourage friends and family to vote.  See below to find your district. 

Thank you for helping make Virginia more just.

Sincerely,

Kim Bobo
Executive Director

Do you know someone in your family, community or congregation who might consider being a plaintiff in a lawsuit seeking to restore voting rights? Nolef Turns, Inc. and Fair Elections Center have filed a federal lawsuit against Governor Youngkin's arbitrary voting rights restoration system for people with felony convictions. But they need your help to win. The lawyers on the case are looking for additional individual plaintiffs to join the lawsuit -- ideally people who have been convicted of a felony in any federal or state court in the past and have finished their sentence including any parole or probation. The person does not need to have already applied to the Governor for restoration of their civil rights in order to serve as a plaintiff. In fact, the lawyers are eager to talk to folks who have NOT yet applied for restoration. So, please hold off on that restoration of rights application for the moment and, if you want to help us fight for a non-arbitrary restoration system, please contact Jon Sherman, a voting rights attorney at Fair Elections Center, at jsherman@fairelectionscenter.org. Serving as a plaintiff is low-commitment, potentially high-impact, and totally free of charge. VICPP is happy to support this effort to change this unconstitutional restoration system in Virginia. 

The greatest impact cannot be made alone. Get involved with VICPP and be a part of the mission to advocate for a more just and sustainable world, starting right here in our own communities. 

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The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy advocates racial, social, and economic justice in Virginia’s policies and practices through education, prayer, and action.