66%
of Eligible Voters Vote in Pres. Elections
20%
of Eligible Voters Vote in Local Elections
2T
$2 Trillion Dollars in Local Gov't Spending
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Vote Can Make a Difference
WHAT WE DO.
The National VOTE (Voter Outreach, Turnout, and Empowerment) Movement is the nation's largest nonprofit dedicated to increasing voter turnout in local elections. We started in Walpole, Massachusetts, after discovering that while 78% of residents were registered, only a small percentage actually voted. Through conversations with the community, we identified key barriers to participation, including lack of awareness about when elections happen, who the candidates are, and why these elections matter.
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Our solution is simple: provide easy-to-understand, nonpartisan resources that educate citizens about the importance of local elections and how to participate in them. With tools like the signature VOTE Brochure, we aim to bridge the gap between voters and their local governments, showing how much of an impact local elections have on daily life.
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The VOTE Movement empowers high school students to become leaders in their own communities. Through our signature Town Ambassador Program, 100+ Town Ambassadors across 20 states and 3 countries are leading voter outreach efforts by working with their town administration, hosting events by partnering with their local organizations, and working to increase voter engagement in their towns.
The power of our model comes from the young people behind it. Our Town Ambassadors are 14, 15, 16, and 17-year-olds who aren’t waiting for permission to lead. By trusting young people with real tools and responsibility, we are flipping the script on democracy. For too long, politics has told young people, “Wait your turn.” We’re saying: start now.
To expand the Town Ambassador Program, we are securing partnerships with state Departments of Education and education agencies, allowing them to share our resources with school districts and students who are historically underrepresented in local elections. These partnerships help us connect with potential Town Ambassadors. We have built relationships with Departments of Education in states such as Colorado, California, Wyoming, Nevada, Ohio, and Washington, and are continuing to expand into additional states.
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In 2025, we were selected for the prestigious National Carnegie Young Leaders for Civic Preparedness Fellowship, run by the Institute for Citizens & Scholars and backed by a $2 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. As part of the fellowship, our nonprofit was awarded a grant to scale our mission of increasing voter turnout in local elections.
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The VOTE Movement’s work has been recognized in media nationally, including features and appearances from:
- Institute for Citizens and Scholars: https://citizensandscholars.org/500-gen-zers-named-2025-carnegie-young-leaders/
- Youth Service America: https://ysa.org/sanyanadeem/
- League of Women Voters: https://lwvma.org/what-democracy-means-in-everyday-life-series-civic-engagement-technology/
- TedX Talks: https://embed.ted.com/tedx/events/61218
- Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts Leading Women: https://www.gsema.org/en/support-us/fundraising-events/leading-women.html