The model of parachuting into a community and mobilizing voters for a short period of time has not built power among BIPOC, immigrant, low-income, and/or young voters. To build long-term power, MVT works with community organizations to integrate civic engagement with issue advocacy throughout the entire year.
In 2020, MVT launched six regional tables called Democracy HUBS (Holistically Unifying Blocks of Solidarity) in partnership with MassVOTE, the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, and Asian Pacific Islanders’ Civic Action Network (APIs CAN). The Democracy HUBS train trusted leaders, provide voter data that fuel field programs, and regrant to community-based organizations.
Each Democracy HUB is made up of:
An anchor organization that coordinates regional field programs
Emerging groups that have trusted leaders and untapped civic engagement potential.
Supporting groups that mobilize voters from specific constituencies and/or geographic areas
2023 Democracy HUBS Partner organizations
Anchor organizations
Brockton Interfaith Community
Coalition for Social Justice
La Colaborativa
Lowell Votes
New England United 4 Justice, NEU4J
Pioneer Valley Project
Worcester Interfaith
emerging organizations
Brazilian American Center Inc
Revere Youth in Action
Neighbor to Neighbor
YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts
Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association
Chinese Culture Connection, Inc.
Latinx Community Center for Empowerment
Marcus Anthony Hall Educational Institute, Inc.
Asian American Resource Workshop
North Shore CDC
Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition
Springfield No One Leaves/Nadie Se Mude
Arise For Social Justice
Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation
Massachusetts Senior Action Council
Supporting Organizations
La Comunidad
True Alliance Center Inc
Neighbors United for a Better East Boston (NUBE)
Reclaim Roxbury
Quincy Asian Resources Inc
Lowell Alliance
Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action
Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance
Madison Park Development Corporation
Prophetic Resistance Boston
Coalition for a Better Acre
Mass Alliance of HUD Tenants
United Interfaith Action of Southeastern MA (UIA)
Brockton Workers Alliance
ACE
Building Power in 2020 through the Democracy HUBS
Through the Democracy HUBS, we contacted 54,504 voters, 71 percent of whom were BIPOC voters. These 38 organizations reached out to low-propensity voters, mostly voters of color, in a “target universe,” who turned out at a rate of 50.6 percent. The gap between the total statewide turnout of 76.0 percent and the turnout of our target universe was nearly 26 percentage points. Of voters who we contacted, 55.8 percent of voters cast a ballot, closing the gap by 20.3 percent. Two or more contacts increased the impact on turnout to 7.9 percentage points. Contacts made by Democracy HUBS leaders increased voter participation by 5.2 percentage points. Two or more contacts increased participation by 7.9 percentage points.