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01/29/2017 | Fighting for an Inclusive Democracy

2016 Elections: The Long Haul Approach

As the shocking results of the 2016 election culminated in the Inauguration ceremony and protests last week, it is important to recognize the positive work and accomplishments of CPD  partners at the state and local levels.

CPD partners registered hundreds of thousands of voters, mobilizing New American Majority voters and fighting, and winning, economic justice ballot initiatives that raise the bar for working families in states across the country.

In 2016, CPD Partners:

  • Knocked on three million doors in 28 states across the country
  • Won ballot measures to increase the minimum wage and/or mandate earned sick time in four states
  • Registered 600,000 voters, including new voters, and re-enfranchised voters

Powerful and sophisticated ballot initiative campaigns won big in this cycle. CPD partners were successful at passing statewide increases in the minimum wage in Colorado, Arizona, Maine and Washington. In two of those states, paid sick leave provisions were included in the initiative.

In San Jose, Working Partnerships USA passed the country's first Fair Scheduling ballot measure with more than 63% of the vote. This victory lays the groundwork for similar efforts in other cities around the country.

Our partners' voter registration and mobilization drives made significant strides at changing the electorate in 2016. In several states, massive registration drives by groups like LUCHA, New Virgina Majority, Ohio Organizing Collaborative, Organize Now and New Florida Majority led to hundreds of thousands of new voters joining the roles.

Our partners developed innovative programs, both in voter registration and mobilization, to increase their membership and volunteer base as part of an integrated civic engagement approach for long-term power building in the States. We are excited to see the outcomes of this work over the next two to four years and are confident that they have laid the groundwork for progressive change across the electoral map.