| Mission Statement
Why is the Black vote critical for political races? Research consistently shows that the Black Vote has been decisive in close elections.
There are 16.2 million registered voters in California. Voter turn-out is consistently about 60 percent – or 9.7 million voters. In order for initiatives to win, it is necessary to garner 4.8 million votes. The same is true for defeating an initiative.
Considering that most elections are won by a 2- to 3-percent margin, a turnout of 525,000 Black voters would compose the margin of victory. In spite of this potential for gaining Black votes to assure victory at the polls, mainstream campaigns have neglected to court, educate and energize the Black Vote.
As campaigns attend to other constituencies, the Black Vote is neither central to the framing of campaign issues nor the object of voter mobilization efforts. As the Black Vote continues to decline as a result of indifference, Black citizens are at risk of becoming increasingly underrepresented, which leads to further apathy and disenfranchisement.
Thus, the mission of BlackVoter.Org (BVO) is to register qualified California Black voters and make them viable players in the Democratic process. We will achieve our goal through grassroots outreach, education and training programs in the black community.
Research demonstrates that Black turnout is the highest when mobilized around issues that affect them personally – a fact that should be our guiding light.
If we are to maximize the Black Vote, then we must frame the issues to make Black citizens feel connected to the electoral process. Therefore, BVO must keep Black citizens informed about issues that will impact their community through the use of the Internet, print and broadcast media, community-based organizations and the Black church.
Politicians, for their part, must consider the importance of the Black Vote when developing a campaign strategy. Of most importance, leaders in Black communities must consider the needs of their constituencies when running for office.
BVO is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that cares deeply about the civil rights of all California citizens. Our wish is to help all groups in the state that feel alienated from the political process.
Sincerely,
Garland S. Rosauro
President
Russell Collins Stiger
Chief Executive Officer
Berta Johnson Davis
Chief Financial Officer
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