As National Voter Registration Day approaches, organizations across the country are gearing up to ensure every eligible citizen has the opportunity to exercise their right to vote. One such organization is NVRD Premier Partner CenterLink: The Community of LGBTQ Centers, an international nonprofit that’s been stepping up to make voter registration a priority since 2018.
With over 375 member LGBTQ centers worldwide, CenterLink is on a mission to strengthen, support, and connect LGBTQ community centers. While they’ve strived to make voter registration a component of their work, the central pillars of their mission remain providing essential services and promoting growth, wellness, and connectivity in LGBTQ+ communities both here in the United States and around the world.
When it comes to National Voter Registration Day, CenterLink doesn’t just participate – they go all out. Since 2018, they’ve been engaging and registering thousands of LGBTQ+ voters across the nation.
“The LGBTQ+ community includes people from all racial, ethnic, gender, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds,” said CenterLink Director of Policy and Advocacy Tanya Tassi. “That means we are uniquely positioned to improve voter turnout and make a difference in election results.” But how exactly does CenterLink mobilize their community for voter registration? Well, they’ve got a few tricks up their sleeve:
- Monthly Get Out The Vote newsletter: It’s packed with links to check registration status and find polling places. Voting info delivered straight to your inbox? Yes, please!
- Nonprofit education: CenterLink knows the ropes when it comes to what 501c3 organizations can and can’t do when it comes to voter registration and engagement. They’re spreading that knowledge to their member centers, ensuring everyone stays on the right side of the law while maximizing their impact.
- Website resources: They’ve dedicated an entire page on their website to voter registration info. It’s a one-stop shop for everything you need to know about registering and why your vote matters.
But CenterLink isn’t going it alone. They’re teaming up with other organizations to amplify their efforts. They’re on the steering committee of ‘Pride to the Polls’, a tool created by the Human Rights Campaign. This nifty resource allows LGBTQ+ voters to pledge to vote, check their registration status, and see what’s on their ballot.
They’re also branching out beyond the LGBTQ+ community. CenterLink has partnered with the Hip Hop Caucus and Transform the Vote, hosting webinars for their member centers on engaging often-overlooked communities in voter registration. It’s all about spreading the love (and the votes) far and wide!
Of course, no good deed goes unchallenged. CenterLink faces some unique hurdles in their voter registration efforts, particularly when it comes to the transgender community. “One major challenge is convincing the LGBTQ+ community – especially the transgender community – that voting is necessary and safe,” Tassi explains. Different state laws on gender marker changes can make registering and voting a complex process for trans individuals.
But CenterLink isn’t backing down from this challenge. They’re constantly educating their member centers on supporting trans clients with voter registration. They’ve also partnered with trans-led organizations to offer free name change clinics, rides to the polls, and legal assistance with name and gender changes. Whatever the initiative, CenterLink begins and ends with the mission of breaking down barriers and making voting accessible for everyone.
In the digital age, CenterLink knows that online outreach is key and that’s why they’ve made a point to leverage digital marketing and social media to encourage LGBTQ+ people to register. They’re not just using the amazing toolkits provided by the National Voter Registration Day team – they’ve created their own GOTV toolkit for their member centers to use year-round.
And here’s the cherry on top: To celebrate their 30th anniversary, CenterLink is launching a campaign called “30 reasons why the LGBTQ+ Community Should Register and Vote”. It’s a creative way to drive home the importance of civic participation while marking a significant milestone for the organization.
As National Voter Registration Day draws near, CenterLink is proving that voter registration can be both important and exciting. They’re breaking down barriers, forging partnerships, and using every tool at their disposal to ensure that LGBTQ+ voices are heard at the ballot box.