Atlanta, GA– Young voters in Georgia reached by Rise were 38% more likely to vote in 2022 according to a new independent analysis published today. Rise is the nation’s largest youth-led nonprofit advocating for free college, student debt relief, and mobilizing young voters. In 2022, Rise hired over 200 paid college students and young organizers in Georgia alone–making it the largest on-the-ground youth organizing program in the state. Additional impact data from Rise’s other focus states is forthcoming. The independent analysis was conducted by TargetSmart, a leading progressive data firm, using a sample of over 20,000 vote plans provided by Rise. Among voters reached by Rise, the analysis found:
- A 12 percentage point increase in youth voter participation
- A 9.4 percentage point increase in voter participation among all age groups
- Rise’s audience is mostly young people and 70%+ voters of color
- Rise’s program is most effective among youth, Democratic-leaning voters, and voters who are likely to still be in college
- A 2.6 percentage points increase in voting among a randomized group of voters that Rise helped make a plan to vote, but did not follow up with during GOTV
“This study provides strong evidence of what we’ve known all along,” said Ambalika Williams, Rise’s National Director of Organizing. “Investing in and empowering young leaders to organize their communities not only impacts elections, but also strengthens democracy.”
“We’re so proud of the work we did with Rise and the impact it had on youth participation,” said Alex Niemczewski, CEO of BallotReady. “Rise’s model is proof of the enormous potential of technology and meaningful relational organizing to make a difference in our democracy.”
“Rise’s bold approach to outreach represents exactly the sort of innovative thinking that the progressive movement needs right now.” said Joe Garland, Director of Analytics at TargetSmart. “Their vision went beyond traditional get-out-the-vote methods, focusing on the political power of young, hard-to-reach potential voters often overlooked by campaigns. The data shows that putting in the extra effort to get these voters the tools they need to participate was more than worth it.”
To achieve such a large impact on voting behavior, Rise recruits, hires and trains large numbers of college students and young organizers to reach out to their families, friends, and peers on campus. Through this “relational” outreach, Rise helps voters make a plan to vote using BallotReady’s technology and follows up with personalized conversations during the final weeks ahead of an election. In 2022, Rise helped voters make over 100,000 plans to vote across our focus states including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
To read the full analysis, click here.
