The Voter Participation Center - Organization Background

Organization Background

Women's Voices Women Vote (WVWV) was launched by Page Gardner in 2003, as a nonpartisan project aimed at increasing the participation of unmarried women. WVWV was formed specifically to focus on the "marriage gap", and has promoted the term through its research, which determined that marital status is a key determinant of registration and voting, with unmarried women registering to vote and voting in elections at lower rates than married women. In 2008, the organization broadened its focus to include the other demographic groups that constitute what it calls the "rising American electorate" (RAE), while still retaining a particular interest in unmarried women. WVWV coined the term "rising American electorate" to refer to traditionally under-represented groups including unmarried women, people of color and young people who constitute a majority of voting eligible citizens. In 2011, Women's Voices Women Vote formally changed its name to The Voter Participation Center, to reflect this broadening of programmatic focus. The VPC's sister organization, Women's Voices Women Vote Action Fund, continues to operate as a 501(c)4. At the time of the re-branding, The Voter Participation Center launched a new website and logo to reflect the change. The Center has partnered with state and national organizations, including USAction, Project Vote and Working America, among others. In addition, the organization provides its research material, test findings and models to other local, state and national non-profit organizations interested in increasing voter participation among unmarried women, people of color and young people.