Skip to content Fair Elections Center is a national, nonpartisan voting rights and election reform 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington, D.C.
We are a non-partisan organization dedicated to safeguarding the future of our democracy through innovative efforts focused on voting rights and civic engagement.
We envision a civic ecosystem where all people can easily and freely participate in our democracy and where this participation is actively supported and valued by our local communities, institutions and government.
Our mission is to use litigation and advocacy to remove barriers to registration and voting, particularly those disenfranchising underrepresented and marginalized communities, and to improve election administration.
Creativity 🤝 Voting Rights
Does that remind you of someone you know? Tell them to enter this year`s Campus Vote Project t-shirt design contest! This year`s theme is "When We All Rise, Democracy Thrives" 👊📣🗳️
The overall winner`s design will be featured on our spring semester t-shirt sent to more than 400 Democracy Fellows, Student Advisory Board representatives, and Campus Vote Project staff members. Oh, and did we mention that all the winning designs will receive a cash prize and will be featured in our merch store?
All entries must be submitted by November 12, so don`t miss out on this amazing opportunity to make a statement and inspire others.
Learn more and submit your design at the link in our bio (bit.ly/cvpdesigncontest)👕
Campus Vote Project is collaborating with NASPA for this year`s Civic Learning and Social Change Conference 📓🗳️💪
Join us in Long Beach California this December for two jam-packed days full of community, curiosity, advocacy, pedagogy, and strategic thinking.
Sounds like fun, right?! Don`t wait - Early Bird Registration ends TODAY! Learn more about the conference and register now at the link in our bio (bit.ly/cvpclsc)
Voter registration is the first step to casting your ballot. Although automatic and online voter registration programs have added many eligible voters to the rolls, their reliance on DMV data and interactions for citizens to benefit from those opportunities means they exclude an increasing number of young people and people living in historically marginalized communities who don`t have a driver`s license. But registration is just the start — attempting to cast a ballot without a driver`s license presents yet another set of barriers.
As part of #NationalVoterEducationWeek, Fair Elections Center has published a new report illuminating recent findings that show a wide and alarming gap in voter registration and turnout rates between people who have a driver’s license and people who do not. Our latest report addresses structural barriers that contribute to this gap and recommends specific policies for state policymakers to expand access to ensure eligible voters without a driver’s license can participate in democracy.
Read more from the report at the link in our bio (bit.ly/Non-DriverVotingGapsReport)
For #NationalVoterEducationWeek, we`re shining a light on the hundreds of thousands of individuals awaiting trial or in jail for misdemeanors — most of whom retain their right to vote but still struggle to access the ballot.
Check out the link in our bio (bit.ly/fecjailvotingblog) for our latest blog post to learn more about the voting rights of those in jail, and how we might create a path forward to raise awareness and put the power of voting back in the hands of these eligible citizens.
Hey Allegheny County! 👋 Do you have plans on Election Day? Do you want to get paid to serve your community? Sign up to be a poll worker!
Don`t wait to sign up, it`s simple and only takes a few minutes! "I`ve already received my assignment 7 minutes from my house and been sent the required training. That honestly couldn`t have been easier!" — Lauren Schueler, Campus Vote Project Democracy Fellow Manager and future poll worker 🗳️
Sign up today at the link in our bio (powerthepolls.org/campus)
🚨 Virginia 🚨
The representatives that are elected to the House of Delegates this November will determine if a number of state constitutional amendments make it to your ballot next year, including one that would restore voting rights to all Virginians that are not incarcerated for a felony.
Fair Elections Center Policy Director Michelle Kanter Cohen spoke on a panel earlier this month to advocate for the amendment.
The upcoming election in Virginia could have a direct impact on your life and your community. Make sure you have all the information you need to vote on or before November 4!
Click the link in our bio to learn more and make your voting plan (bit.ly/fecvavote)
Does this sound like you?
✅️ Current law student
✅️ Demonstrated commitment to civil rights or voting rights
✅️ Strong legal research and analytical skills
If so, apply to join Fair Elections Center`s Voting Rights Project as a Summer 2026 Legal Intern!
Learn more and apply today at the link in our bio (fairelectionscenter.org/careers)
Registering to vote is the first step in making your voice heard at the ballot box. That`s why we celebrate #NationalVoterRegistrationDay every year 🗳️✅
Yesterday, staff and students with Fair Elections Center`s Campus Vote Project registered voters all across the country. How did you celebrate #NVRD?
Did you know that in 2017, 60 percent of polling places had at least one problem that made them inaccessible, and that if people with disabilities voted at the same rate as nondisabled voters, there would be about 2.0 million more voters? Voters with disabilities are a part of every community and live in every county across the United States. That`s why we`re joining American Association of People with Disabilities` REV UP campaign to celebrate Disability Voting Rights Week (DVRW)!
DVRW serves as one way to empower disabled voters to use their voice, and to support and build community with other voters with disabilities. As DVRW wraps up, we encourage nondisabled people to educate yourself on the barriers that disabled voters face, and find ways to make voting more accessible for your community.
Want to learn more about an often overlooked community of voters with disabilities? Read the latest blog from Fair Elections Center, written by Voting Rights Project Summer Legal Intern Elena Edwards, on the voting barriers competency laws create for Americans under guardianship or with mental disabilities at the link in our bio (bit.ly/fecvotercompetencyblog)
Today, Fair Elections Center released the following statement from Rebekah Caruthers, President & CEO, on the latest instance of political violence on a college campus.
“Yesterday, a life was lost in a space intended for civic engagement and conversation. It’s tragic and unacceptable. For those of us organizing young people on campuses by helping passionate students regardless of political affiliation turn their voices into positive action, this hits close. A fatal act of political violence on a college campus is terrifying—especially for young people who show up every day to engage, organize, and empower their peers. No one should fear for their life while trying to engage in democracy.”
bit.ly/fecutahviolence
Attending the Virginia Justice Conference this week? Join Fair Elections Center Policy Director and Senior Counsel Michelle Kanter Cohen on September 12 for a panel discussion on several proposed amendments to the Virginia state constitution, including one that would establish a right to vote for all Virginia citizens who are not incarcerated for a felony!
Tickets on sale through 9/10/25, so don`t miss out! Learn more about this event, and other upcoming events with Fair Elections Center, at the link in our bio (fairelectionscenter.org/events)
"While there are several states that make it difficult for people with felony convictions to have their voting rights restored, Virginia is one of just a few states whose constitution permanently disenfranchises all citizens with past felony convictions, with rights restoration subject only to the Governor’s whim," writes Voting Rights Project Summer Legal Intern Ithar Hassan.
Voting rights groups have sued Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin over his policy, including Fair Elections Center (just this week, we petitioned for our case to be heard by the entire Fourth Circuit).
In an unrelated suit, two disenfranchised Virginians filed a class action challenging the provision. The plaintiffs argued that their disenfranchisement violated an 1870 federal law called the Virginia Readmission Act. Earlier this summer, the Supreme Court ruled that the case should be allowed to move forward, despite an appeal by the state.
Could the Readmission Act be the path to re-enfranchisement for more than 100,000 Virginians? Read more at the link in our bio (bit.ly/fecvirginiarestorationblog)
🚨NC voters: The State Board of Elections has published a list of voters with incomplete registrations. Check if you`re on it and take action before it’s too late!
🔗 Check the list: dl.ncsbe.gov/RegistrationRepair/index.html
🛠️ Repair your registration: ncsbe.gov/registrationrepair (link in bio)
All eyes are on New York City’s upcoming mayoral election, following Zohran Mamdani`s contentious victory in his party’s primary. But could the election have ripple effects beyond the city limits? Historically, when a New York mayor has failed to crack the 40% vote threshold, it has triggered legislative reforms in election procedures, including the institution of run-offs, fusion candidacies, and the current ranked-choice system. In this new blog post, Fair Elections Center Summer Legal Intern Morgan Munroe, a rising 3L at New York University School of Law, explores the implications of the mayor’s race for election reform efforts in the city—and beyond.
Read the full blog: bit.ly/fecnycmayorblog
This week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court’s decision upholding the arbitrary restoration of voting rights to Virginians convicted of felonies against a First Amendment challenge.
The plaintiff, George Hawkins, is represented by Fair Elections Center and Virginia-based attorney Victor Glasberg. Mr. Hawkins, who had served time in prison for a felony conviction, asserted that the governor’s unfettered discretion over voting-rights restoration and the lack of a reasonable, definite time limit for the restoration process violate the First Amendment.
The Fair Elections Center`s Voting Rights Project litigation team is considering filing a petition for en banc rehearing before the full Fourth Circuit.
Click the link in our bio to read more about this case, which we filed in 2023 (bit.ly/va_rightsrestorationlawsuit)
It is with the deepest sorrow that we share the heartbreaking news of the recent passing of Bianca Avery, Fair Elections Center’s extraordinary and extraordinarily beloved Texas State Coordinator.
Our hearts go out to Bianca`s wife, her children, the rest of her beautiful family, and all of her friends during this incredibly sad time. We ask you to please hold them in your hearts. We also hold space in our hearts for our staff and community members as, collectively, we grieve this profound loss.
bit.ly/fecbiancaavery
We`re hiring a new Controller to join our finance team. Head to fairelectionscenter.org/careers (link in bio) for more information and apply today
HAPPENING TODAY at 2 PM ET!
Join Fair Elections Center Policy Director and Senior Counsel Michelle Kanter Cohen for a joint webinar with @nonprofitvote for the information you need on 2025 updates to voter registration drive laws - with an emphasis on state laws that have changed in the past year.
Looking for something to do today on Martha`s Vineyard? Fair Elections Center President & CEO Rebekah Caruthers will join The Sentencing Project, Color of Change, and SPLC Georgia for an in-person panel discussion examining tools addressing the now and visioning for the future of Black communities in the United States at Oak Bluffs Library.
Learn more about these events, and other upcoming events, at the link in our bio (fairelectionscenter.org/events)
There are no “off years” for elections! Many states have elections this year, and preparations for 2026 midterm elections is already underway — and these elections need poll workers! This Poll Worker Recruitment Day, sign up to serve your community as a poll worker: powerthepolls.org/fairelections (link in bio)
For nearly 50 years, the landmark Voting Rights Act enjoyed bipartisan support and remained a vital and supremely effective tool for combating racial discrimination in voting, Fair Election Center’s Policy Director and Senior Counsel Michelle Kanter Cohen explains. But since 2013, a series of Supreme Court decisions have weakened the VRA and diminished its power to protect voters against discrimination.
Today we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the VRA, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on August 6, 1965—and call on Congress to restore and strengthen the ingenious legislation.
The Voting Rights Act has never been more important. Click the link in our bio to learn more about how Fair Elections Center is pushing back on concerted attacks on our voting rights (bit.ly/fecvra60)
