The League's Impact on the 2020 Election

A screenwriter couldn't have plotted it better: in the League's 100th year of existence, in the midst of a deeply contentious federal election, America was hit by a series of nation-changing events. The COVID-19 pandemic spread both domestically and internationally, threatening everyone's health and safety. Acts of racist violence exposed systems of oppression that had been accepted for far too long. Attacks on the media and the spread of mis- and disinformation had us questioning everything we heard, from political stances to pandemic recovery plans.

In other words, Americans faced enormous, unprecedented challenges in a year when safe and equitable elections were more important than ever. Instead of running from this enormous challenge, Leagues and their supporters stepped up to the plate like never before.

The results of our 2020 Election Impact Report show how we looked straight into the face of hardship and kept working. Through pro-voter legal cases, information-sharing, and advocacy, we helped power an election whose turnout not only didn't suffer from the aforementioned struggles, but was unprecedented in its size.

Together, we powered democracy even when the odds seemed insurmountable. Below are just a few highlights.

1. Protecting the Right to Vote

The pandemic created ample opportunity for anti-voter rules, such as reduced mail-in voting options and last-minute election changes, to thrive. Leagues across the US fought this by joining dozens of cases focused on expanding voting options through:

• Added protections for in-person voting;
• The elimination or relaxation of discriminatory ID requirements;
• Support for the US Postal Service;
• Increased opportunities for early and mail-in voting; and
• Much more.

2. Creating Voting Resources for Everyone

More than a 10th of the US population is made up of native Spanish-speakers, yet limited tools exist to empower them within our democracy.

The League countered this by translating our online voting resource, VOTE411, entirely into Spanish. This enabled millions of people to search for candidate info, polling places, registration deadlines, and other essential information in the language of their preference.

Additionally, the League reached out to this oft-underrepresented population through postcards, radio ads, and social media promotions. We did so because we know that when all voices are valued, our democracy is stronger.

3. Getting Involved in Georgia

Even after the Presidential election was decided, the nation faced a set of crucial runoff elections in Georgia. The League reached out to thousands of voters in Georgia via email, text, phone, radio, and more. 

Partially because of these efforts, Georgia received a voter turnout of more than 1 million people. 

These are only a few of the millions of ways in which Leagues empowered Americans during one of the most tumultous years in our country's history. We couldn't be prouder of or more thankful for the supporters who enabled us to achieve these results.

Learn more about how your support impacted the 2020 election by reading our full report. 

To assist us in our current advocacy, you can check out our Action Alerts, make a donation, or join a local League.

Let's accomplish even more in 2024.