How Denver Could Become the First City to Ban Slaughterhouses

The Minnesota Council of Churches’ Respectful Conversations initiative brings together members of different congregations to find empathy and common ground around divisive issues such as policing, guns, and the upcoming election. Since 2012, the program has hosted more than 300 conversations attended by over 8,000 people, the majority of whom reported a stronger sense of empathy for people with different viewpoints after participating.

Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson's campaign strategically targeted young voters by leveraging social media, collaborating with artists and musicians, hosting rallies and events on college campuses, and recruiting young progressive officials to support his candidacy. In the citywide election, turnout among the youngest voters jumped roughly 30 percent compared to the primary, helping Johnson narrowly defeat his opponent.

In a truly grassroots effort, organizers of a campaign to end partisan gerrymandering in Michigan mobilized more than 10,000 volunteers to rally support for establishing an independent redistricting commission. Through building meaningful relationships with everyday voters in each of the state's 83 counties, the campaign successfully gathered more than 400,000 signatures to get the proposal on the ballot, and the constitutional amendment was ultimately approved in 2018.

The Sequim Good Governance League (SGGL) formed in response to right-wing agitators taking over positions of power and spreading misinformation. SGGL recruited progressive and moderately conservative candidates who successfully defeated incumbents with the help of dozens of volunteers they trained. Volunteers worked around the clock, sent out emails, put up signs around the town, and used their most effective tool: having one-on-one conversations with other residents. SGGL-backed candidates now hold the majority of government offices.

“Deep Canvassing” is an approach to political organizing based on the idea that our political beliefs may be more flexible than we think. Canvassers go door-to-door but instead of rallying identified supporters to go to the polls, they approach people who hold opposing viewpoints for meaningful conversations, including substantial active listening. Even though people start out attached to their own opinions, these meaningful connections have shown that people are usually willing to adjust their beliefs towards the center in a quest to find common ground.

Seattle’s democracy vouchers program provides residents with four $25 vouchers to donate to local political candidates of their choice, with the goal of making it easier for citizens to participate in local elections while also leveling the playing field for a wider range of candidates. Research on the program found that it has helped increase the number of unique donors and made local elections more competitive.

Since 1924, Australia has had compulsory voting, which requires citizens to cast a ballot or face a small fine. The policy has created a strong culture around voting, and voter turnout has remained high since the law went into effect.

Texas' Countywide Polling Place Program allows residents to vote at any polling place in their home county, with the goal of making the election process more convenient and accessible. However, though some counties have seen turnout increase over time, others have seen it decrease in recent elections.

To encourage in-person absentee voting, one Wisconsin County offered up special funding to municipalities to offset administrative costs, allowing many to extend their early voting hours and bring on additional help. More than 13,000 county residents cast absentee ballots in person in the most recent election, which is almost triple the number cast by the same point in the 2023 voting cycle.

Los Angeles County’s Flex Vote Center Program establishes polling locations at shelters, transitional housing sites, and service centers for people who are unhoused or face other barriers to voting. In 2020, nearly 2,800 people cast their ballots through the Flex program.