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Defending our right to vote is critical for the advancement of our democracy. Dear friend, Defending our right to vote is critical for the advancement of our democracy. While Shelby v. Holder gave way for hard-right legislatures to enact voter suppression laws year after year, voter mobilization efforts have not stopped. Launched in 2020, the SPLC, along with the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, vowed to disburse $100 million in grants through our Vote Your Voice program to organizations increasing voter participation across the South. Your donation means local organizations have the ability to register, educate and mobilize voters in Black and Brown communities that have been historically underserved, underrepresented and ignored. We believe that local organizations are best suited to decide what the best practices are in their communities to expand voter outreach and participation. This model strengthens relationships between organizers, civic groups, students, faculty and members of the community, building a solid foundation for increased voter turnout. Whether registering voters on college campuses or in rural areas, our most recently announced grantees are using creative strategies to motivate folks to show up to the polls. One of our Vote your Voice recipients, Students Learn Students Vote Coalition (SLSV), was founded in 2016 by students in response to a history of suppression of the student vote. By supporting local college campus leaders, the SLSV helped increase youth voter turnout, proving that investments in grassroots organizations are key to getting more folks to the polls. New voter suppression laws, however, have made it difficult for voter turnout to flourish in the South. Many barriers are created every year to ensure Black and Brown communities are erased — from denying eligible returning citizens the right to vote to permanently shutting down voting locations, far-right extremists will go to great lengths to silence the will of the voters. Our Vote your Voice program ensures that more people exercise their fundamental right to vote because when we turn out, we create greater opportunities for our communities to thrive. Until Dec. 31, every donation will be matched up to $1 million. That means your impact will double, helping us at a moment when we must fight back against voter suppression in the country. Please join us today by making a special gift. Thank you for playing a vital role in fighting for our democracy. In solidarity, The Southern Poverty Law Center
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