Don’t be mad, but we want you to remember 2020.

Leading up to the election, Stand Up America ran one of the most robust text banking programs in the country. We sent over 25 million text messages to eligible voters throughout the year, helping people get their ballots and cast them safely.

But the work didn’t end on Election Day. Our 8,000+ volunteer team is still going strong, advocating for policies that will expand voting rights and stop voter suppression in its tracks. 

But what does this actually look like? We spoke with Nancy, a captain on the texting team, to pull the curtain back on what happens when you sign up to volunteer. Nancy is a powerhouse who organizes our volunteers and troubleshoots issues with them. We’re so grateful for her work, and excited to hear more about it from her directly:

Where do you call home?
Breckenridge, CO

What inspired you to get involved with the organizing team?
Making sure that Trump was not re-elected.

Which political issues are closest to your heart?
Voting rights, women's rights, and saving the environment.

In your own words, how would you describe what the Stand Up America organizing team is and what volunteers can expect to do when texting with us?
Stand Up America is an organization that is welcoming to all. When a volunteer joins the team, they are given instructions describing what to expect and how to respond to voters. Then, they sign up to participate in Slack (our app for talking with volunteers). When texting, there is always a staff member available to answer questions to help newcomers get up to speed.  

What is the volunteer team currently working on?
We’re texting voters to contact their senators to support the For the People Act (also known as HR1/S1).

What have you learned while being a Stand Up America organizing team captain?
Patience - HA!  Also, no matter how well you write your instructions, people will still need help 🙂. But it’s worth it! I enjoy answering questions and I love the camaraderie on the channel. 

If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about American politics, what would it be?
I wish there was automatic voter registration all around the country and term limits for members of Congress and judges. 

It’s the work we do in these quieter times that will determine the voting rights landscape in 2022 and beyond. Join Nancy and the rest of the team by signing up for a shift texting voters in key states about why we need the For the People Act!

People on our team are out there doing cool things. Take our deputy political director, Reggie Thedford, for example. Last week, Reggie spoke with Erika Maye, the Deputy Senior Campaigns Director at Color of Change, about abolishing the Jim Crow era filibuster and enacting the For the People Act. It was a great conversation, and if you missed it you can watch the recording here.

Thanks for tuning in. See you next month!

Eloise and Sami