GenVote sparks an intersectional youth-led movement that fights for our right to vote and a just democracy for all. Originally founded in 2017, GenVote was founded to spread the GenVote Model of Engagement and educate, mobilize and connect college students in New York to progressive candidates running for local candidates. But we soon realized that it was pointless to get young people involved in political campaigns if they couldn’t access poll sites or register to vote.

GenVote is committing to a new theory of change (TOC) that centers people power and movement-organizing.As GenVoters, we are the youngest and largest intersectional generation building a new movement of youth voting rights warriors committed to defending and expanding the right to vote for young people.

We know that we are facing the largest anti-democracy movement that our country has ever seen, and as an intersectional movement we recognize that we are building upon the sacrifices and gains made by our ancestors as we work towards a just democracy for all.

Institutionalized systems of power and decision-making continue to suppress the right to vote for young people across the country, especially young Black, Brown, and Indigenous people. The youngest and most diverse generation yet is being silenced and prevented from politically speaking to decisions that directly affect their lives and our democracy.

Make no mistake. We are at a pivotal moment in history: we can continue to watch the gutting of our democracy at the hands of the few in power, or we can come together and fight for a society in which everyone has equal opportunity to vote and our elected officials are as representative as the electorate who voted them in.

The time is now. We are GenVote.


read our movement principles

WHAT WE'VE DONE

SHAPE NEW AGENDAS AND ACTIONS FOR YOUTH VOTING RIGHTS

On the local level, GenVote helped bring the first voting reforms in over 100 years to NY. From winning early voting, to pre-registration and requiring poll sites on college campuses, GenVote has pioneered a new vision for youth-led voting rights agendas as the Co-Chair of the Let NY Vote Youth Voting Rights Working Group, and we're ready to bring that vision to communities across the country.




LAUNCH CREATIVE YOUTH-LED ACTIONS FOR ELECTORAL JUSTICE

Since we developed our new movement DNA in 2021 & 2022, we've recruited dozens of young people to launch nonviolent actions to shift public opinion, activate our base, and fight for electoral justice through escalated moral protest:

  • 3 Just Democracy for All demonstrations in TX and NY
  • 1 National Hunger Strike for Democracy with UNPAC in Washington D.C.
  • Protect Our Freedoms Banner Drop at CPAC in Dallas, TX




TRAIN OVER 500 YOUTH WITH OUR TRAINING PROGRAMS

Since 2018, GenVote trainers have trained and supported hundreds of GenVoters and allies with our unique training modules. From building student constituencies, providing public testimonies, developing direct actions, and protecting our right to vote with the 1st youth-led national election protection program, we've built the mass training infrastructure to develop the next generation of electoral justice leaders.




MADE HISTORY WITH GENVOTE ASCENDERS

In 2022, we launched GenVote Ascenders - the 1st national youth-led, leadership cohort program to mobilize the youth vote to defeat election deniers and win critical Secretary of State races in Michigan, Nevada and Arizona. GenVoters made over 293,000 voter contact attempts to young people about our endorsed Secretary of State candidates, through texting, phone calls, canvassing and voter education events.







OUR STRATEGY

Build a new intersectional youth-led movement to reclaim our democracy

GenVote is sparking our movement by starting Teams and Hubs in colleges, high schools, rural counties and big cities in 10 target states. Our GenVoters will be supported by a robust coaching and mass training program with over 15 movement training modules. We will build people power by creating an organizing home for our base, shifting public opinion, and fighting for electoral justice through escalated moral protest.

Build political power for next generation electoral justice champions

Our generation will prevent anti-democracy candidates from taking control of our elections. From birddogging insurrectionists, to launching the 1st national program to mobilize the youth vote in Secretary of State races, to supporting young candidates running for local election administration offices, we are building political power for a new generation of electoral justice champions in our communities.


Spearheading a new vision for our democracy and youth voting rights

GenVote will spearhead the 1st cross-movement, youth-led "Just Democracy for All" (JDA) framework to reimagine how future generations come of age in our democracy and expand the franchise for generations to come. This new electoral justice framework will lay the foundation for our advocacy at the national and local level, and unite our movements with a shared, bold vision of a just democracy for all.

Making electoral justice a major priority at the state and local level

With gridlock in D.C., GenVoters will work with our national networks and state-based policy allies to adapt a youth-led JDA framework and win legislative fights that advance youth voting rights and a just democracy for all at the state and local level. We will challenge the narrative that young people do not care about our elections and will make electoral justice a major priority for young voters in the 2024 election and beyond.