Stand Up America Launches Campaign To Demand $4 Billion for Election Assistance in CARES 2.0

Today, progressive advocacy organization Stand Up America is announcing a new campaign ramping up efforts to pressure Congress to allocate $4 billion for vote-by-mail and other election assistance in CARES 2.0. The group is launching a nationwide digital organizing campaign to drive thousands of additional constituent calls to Congress ahead of lawmakers returning on May 4.

As lawmakers in the House of Representatives and Senate debate the provisions included in the next coronavirus response bill, Stand Up America is demanding that Congress give every state the resources needed to expand vote-by-mail options, extend early voting, increase online voter registration, and guarantee no-excuse absentee voting for all Americans across the country.

This month, over 50 groups joined Stand Up America in sending a letter to congressional leadership to demand that the next stimulus package provide $4 billion in funds.

The campaign will include:

• Using innovative digital tactics to reach millions of progressives via text, email, and social media to drive thousands of additional constituent calls to the Senate this week, after having driven 120,000 calls since March;
• Launching a peer-to-peer texting campaign using the voter file to contact more than 75,000 constituents of key lawmakers to help them demand their Democratic and Republican representatives support election assistance funding, including:
• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
• Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO)
• Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
• House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC)
• House Assistant Speaker Ray Lujan (D-NM)

• Encouraging all Americans to text MAIL to 21333 to learn about vote-by-mail and then be connected to their representatives;
• Launching new national digital ads (example below) that will drive calls to Congress and help constituents take action to demand more funding;
• Producing videos and other educational content people can share on social media to educate the public and drive additional calls to Congress; and
• Hosting weekly press briefings with advocates. Past calls have included Senators Amy Klobuchar, Ron Wyden, and Chris Coons, Oregon Governor Kate Brown, Fair Fight Founder Stacey Abrams, and experts from Common Cause and the Brennan Center.

"Congress has failed to provide states with the resources they need to ensure that no voter has to choose between their health and casting their ballot," said Stand Up America Founder and President Sean Eldridge. "Democrats have leverage to demand that election assistance funding be included in the next package, and they must use it."

"This campaign will activate Stand Up America's community of over two million progressives to ramp up pressure on lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to protect the integrity of our elections," said Stand Up America Digital Director Joe Hines. "At a time when on-the-ground organizing is halted, we've seen a surge in online activism. Our volunteers are stepping up to drive more remote action than ever before, including by contacting 75,000 constituents in the next phase of this campaign."

If you'd like to talk to a Stand Up America spokesperson about the campaign, reach out to Ryan Thomas at ryan@standupamerica.com.