Today, the Democratic National Committee is announcing a nearly $88,000 grant to the Minnesota DFL to boost engagement in African American, Latinx, and Hmong communities in Minneapolis-St. Paul ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. Combining traditional boots-on-the-ground organizing with innovative digital and technological tools, these investments will support the DNC’s IWillVote initiative, which aims to reach 50 million voters by Election Day. This new investment is in addition to the $100,000 already awarded to the Minnesota DFL through the State Party Innovation Fund.
Most recently, the DNC announced a multimillion-dollar investment, which includes a nationwide cell-phone acquisition, a complete overhaul of the party’s data for voter-registration targeting and further data investments for the party’s voter-protection efforts. As part of the DNC’s IWillVote program, the DNC plans to launch a six-figure digital ad buy across the country to encourage Americans — with a focus on sporadic voters, especially those who dropped off in 2014 from 2012 — to commit to vote this November.
“The new DNC has been working tirelessly to support our state parties, motivate voters to get to the polls, and organize around issues that matter for country’s future,” said DNC Chair Tom Perez. “We are investing in our base communities and putting organizers on the ground across the country because we know that’s the only way we’ll win. This investment will help ensure that Democrats are talking to voters in every community, and make sure that activists and candidates have the new tools and resources they need to succeed. The DNC is proud to partner with our state parties to expand our engagement in all communities and support Democratic candidates running up and down the ticket.”
“Minnesota DFLers are committed to fighting for working families and building a better Minnesota for all Minnesotans,” said Minnesota DFL Chair Ken Martin. “We know that it’s not enough to just show up and ask for votes on Election Day – we need to engage our young voters and communities of color year-round to ensure that their voices and concerns are heard at the polls. This grant will help expand our work around issues impacting their families and their communities, like investments in our public schools, ensuring accessible health care, and building opportunities for our local economies. We’re lucky to have a champion like Chair Perez and the collaborative help of the DNC and ASDC, which share our commitment to engaging voters in all parts of Minnesota and electing DFLers up and down the ticket in November.”
In total, the DNC has awarded 41 states and territories with grants through the State Party Innovation Fund. This is in addition to the $10,000-a-month investment that state parties receive through our Every ZIP Code Counts program.