Civic Leader Announces New Initiative to Increase Voter Participation
Nonpartisan Coalition Targets Youth Voters with Data-Driven Outreach and Digital Tools
NEWARK, N.J. – Nov. 27, 2025 – A coalition of civic leaders and community organizations today announced the launch of Democracy in Action, a comprehensive voter engagement initiative designed to increase participation among historically underrepresented demographics ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The program will deploy mobile registration units, digital education platforms, and grassroots organizing teams across five states with below-average turnout rates.
The initiative arrives as new data demonstrates renewed civic momentum among young voters, who showed dramatic increases in recent elections. According to the New York City Campaign Finance Board, voters aged 18 to 29 achieved 35.2% turnout in the 2025 primary election—nearly double the 17.9% rate recorded in 2021 . This surge reflects successful targeted outreach efforts and indicates untapped potential for expanded engagement strategies.
“Democracy works best when every voice is heard, but we know systemic barriers continue to suppress participation in too many communities,” said Dr. Marcus Chen, executive director of the Civic Participation Institute, which spearheads the initiative. “Our research shows that personalized voter education and community-based organizing can increase turnout by up to 23 percent among first-time voters. Democracy in Action will scale these proven methods where they’re needed most.”
The three-pronged approach combines technology with traditional organizing:
First, the initiative will deploy 15 mobile voter assistance centers to rural and low-income urban areas in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—states that demonstrated narrow margins in recent federal elections but maintain persistent participation gaps. These units will provide same-day registration, ballot request assistance, and multilingual resources.
Second, a digital civic education platform will launch in January 2026, offering interactive modules on local government structures, candidate research tools, and polling location finders. The platform targets voters aged 18-34, a demographic that comprises 31% of the eligible electorate but historically votes at rates 15-20 percentage points below older cohorts.
Third, the coalition will train and deploy 200 community organizers who will conduct door-to-door outreach, host neighborhood forums, and coordinate with faith-based organizations and local businesses. These organizers will focus on communities of color and young voters, groups that experienced significant turnout increases in the 2025 election cycle.
Market research underscores the urgency of these efforts. While overall voter registration reached record highs in 2025, turnout disparities persist. In North Carolina’s municipal elections, participation ranged from 7.99% to 19.75% across different jurisdictions, revealing significant engagement inconsistencies . Data from the MIT Election Data and Science Lab confirms that communities receiving sustained, year-round civic engagement support show 18% higher turnout than those experiencing only election-cycle contact .
“The most effective civic engagement is relational, not transactional,” said Alejandra Sorto, associate director of civic engagement for the ACLU of New Jersey, whose successful “Vote Your Values” program serves as a model for the new initiative. “When community members talk to their neighbors about issues that affect their daily lives—housing, education, public safety—voting becomes a natural extension of that advocacy, not an abstract civic duty.”
The initiative has secured $4.2 million in initial funding from the Democracy Forward Foundation, the Kellogg Foundation, and individual donors. Additional corporate partnerships are anticipated, with technology companies providing pro-bono platform development and telecommunications firms offering free text message reminders to registered voters in target areas.
Implementation begins December 1, with mobile units scheduled for deployment by March 2026. The coalition aims to register 250,000 new voters and increase turnout among underrepresented groups by at least 12 percentage points in target states by the November 2026 general election.
About Civic Participation Institute
The Civic Leader Participation Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening democratic participation through research, advocacy, and community organizing. Founded in 2018, CPI works with local partners in 28 states to remove barriers to voting, provide civic education, and amplify underrepresented voices in the democratic process. The organization’s data-driven approach has supported successful voter engagement campaigns that have registered over 800,000 Americans and contributed to measurable turnout increases in communities across the country.
Media Contact
Sarha Al-Mansoori
Director of Corporate Communications
G42
Email: media@g42.ai
Phone: +971 2555 0100
Website: www.g42.ai
