Type of Activity: Project Grant
Grantee: CSME Action
Amount: Updated to $1,250,000 in 2021 — originally approved as $1,000,000 in 2019 over two years
What is CSME Action?
Center for Secure and Modern Elections (CSME) Action, a project funded by Sixteen Thirty Fund, works to make voting registration easier through pro-voter policy reform advocacy. They are a bipartisan organization dedicated to advancing pro-voter policies at the state level that modernize the voting process and ensure that every eligible voter can have their voice heard. CSME Action supports state-led efforts to defeat bad policies and rules, pivot to strong pro-voter policies, and change the conversation so that both parties engage in pro-voter activities.
Why do we think this project is important?
CSME Action has extensive expertise in advocating for pro-voter legislation and defending existing voting policies from detrimental changes.
They advance pro-voter reforms through different strategies, including providing assistance to local leaders who want to modernize their elections for the 21st century — regardless of party affiliation. They also provide resources to support the efforts of organizations and advocates who elevate the voices of individuals negatively impacted by voting registration policies. Because there is a wide range of needs unique to different regions and communities, CSME Action works with community members to identify the right modernization policies for a specific state. This customized approach builds buy-in from local leaders and community members, and ensures that chosen reforms will be the most effective option.
How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting CSME Action?
In 2019, Democracy Fund Voice approved a grant of $1,000,000 over two years to support the Center for Secure and Modern Elections (CSME) Action. In 2021 an amendment was approved to increase the amount of the grant by $250,000, for a total of $1,250,000.