Community Change Action/Voters, Make the Road Action Nevada, and Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada Action Fund Host Media Briefing on Electoral Organizing Strategy and Voter Attitudes in Nevada
(Nevada) – Yesterday, Community Change Action/Voters were joined by Make the Road Action Nevada and Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada Action Fund (PLAN) to host a virtual briefing on issues moving Nevada voters and to share about their electoral organizing strategies in the state.
Community Change Action/Voters kicked off the call by giving an overview of the organization’s electoral organizing program, which employs an innovative approach to engage high potential voters of color and low income voters. Grecia Lima, National Political Director of Community Change Action and Executive Director of Community Change Voters, credited Community Change Action/Voter’s track record of reaching these voters to our partnerships with trusted messengers like Make the Road Action Nevada and PLAN Action Fund.
“I am proud of the work we are doing with our state partners to create the most comprehensive field possible. Our direct contact activities range from traditional strategies — canvass, phone banking and texting — to more innovative, like relational voter contact, digital creators, and early vote events to ensure that our voters receive a persuasive touchpoint with culturally competent and trusted messengers,” said Lima.
Lima also shared that canvassers in the state have made 36,000 candidate IDs from conversations with Nevadans with results showing 25% are undecided about their vote and 8% plan not to vote at all. But Lima is not discouraged by these findings.
“For experienced Nevada campaigners like the people present on this call, we know that our undecided voters come home when we make space for them,” she said. “The magic of our program is that we don’t shy away from the economic pain points of our communities, we are committed to building spaces where they can express that frustration, be reminded that their vote is powerful, and sustain their engagement with us long after Election Day.”
PLAN Action Fund, an organization founded in 2012 to put progressive principles into action through culturally competent electoral campaigns, legislative organizing, and strategic communications with like minded partners, spoke next.
“Nevadans are struggling with rising rent, rising utilities and lack of public transportation. But the voters we talk to know it’s because of corporate greed,” said PLAN Action Fund Executive Director Laura Martin. “That’s why we’re organizing in heat islands, corporate owned apartment complexes and manufactured housing communities, weekly motels, and known slumlord properties to reach at least 8,000 people to join our relational organizing team. We’ve reached 113% completion on our goal for our doors program, and we’re prepared to make a fourth pass when we had only planned three, all while our contact rates have hovered around an unprecedented (for Nevada) 30%.”
Tamara Favors, Housing Justice Organizer for PLAN Action, shared more about her work:
“Housing is on the ballot this election, whether it is voting for a legislator who will be the voice of tenants and will stand up to corporate landlords and apartment associations, or for a president who wants to tackle the housing crisis with tenant protections, not just corporate giveaways. This election, I am organizing with tenants and other Nevadans who need the housing crisis to be addressed and solved. We are creating spaces where the concerns of everyday Nevadans can be heard.”
Make the Road Action Nevada, an organization dedicated to securing respect and dignity for all people with a focus on immigrants and the Latine community, who has been at the forefront of social justice issues like immigration, housing, and labor rights for over a decade, then spoke.
“We’re building on our past success — we want to transform this passive support to active participation. Our campaign has already achieved some big results, winning 15 out of 18 endorsed candidate primaries by making over 272,000 calls, sending over 400,000 text messages, and knocking 90,000 doors. We know that when our members speak to voters, they’re 80% more likely to vote,” said Lalo Montoya, Civic Engagement Director.
Karina Ontiveros, a canvasser for Make the Road Action, said, “I believe voting is the way our voices can be heard, and we need to speak out this upcoming election if we want changes in our communities. I was inspired to do this work after joining Make the Road Action Nevada and seeing the impact our community can have when we unite for a common cause. This isn’t just about abstract policy, it’s about real impact on people’s lives. People in our community are suffering and dying — we need leaders who understand the urgency and are ready to fight for solutions.”
This briefing is the second in a series Community Change Action/Voters plan to host in key swing states including Wisconsin, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, and nationally leading up to the 2024 election. You can watch the full Nevada media briefing here.
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