Vote.org
| Company type | Nonprofit organization |
|---|---|
| Industry | Voter registration and turnout |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | Debra Cleaver |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States |
| Website | vote |
Vote.org, initially known as Long Distance Voter, is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity located in the United States. It provides comprehensive online voter resources for every state, including registration forms, absentee ballot requests, and details on deadlines, directions, as well as identification and residency criteria.
History
Established in 2008 by Debra Cleaver under the name Long Distance Voter, the organization’s original goal was to boost voter participation by offering absentee voting information online. Until 2016, it relied solely on volunteers, when Cleaver became its first salaried staff member.
In April 2016, the organization rebranded as Vote.org and entered Y Combinator in June, shifting its focus toward achieving full voter turnout. At Y Combinator’s demo day, Cleaver unveiled an unsolicited text messaging approach to voter registration. Later that year in the fall, Vote.org collaborated with Hustle to implement a nationwide peer-to-peer SMS campaign targeting unregistered voters with millions of text messages and subsequently providing polling location details. This initiative resulted in a 0.2 percentage point increase in turnout. Since then, Vote.org has conducted multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate various voter mobilization tactics.
In March 2018, Vote.org introduced ElectionDay.org to encourage CEOs to allow employees time off for voting. By 2020, participation had grown to include over 1,000 companies such as Twitter, T-Mobile, Lyft, and Adidas.
In June 2020, Vote.org joined forces with the Alliance for Retired Americans and the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine to file a lawsuit against Maine, challenging outdated voting technology and obstacles like the absence of prepaid postage on mail-in ballots and restrictive absentee ballot policies. The case was dismissed due to timing issues before the election; however, an appeal was planned.
For the 2020 election cycle, Vote.org coordinated food trucks that served free meals to approximately 40,500 voters enduring long wait times and partnered with Propel's Fresh EBT app to register 60,000 low-income recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
In 2021, Vote.org supported the For the People Act, which sought to broaden voter registration access and enhance mail-in ballot systems. Collaborating with groups such as Fair Fight Action and When We All Vote, Vote.org helped gather signatures from 90 corporations urging Congressional approval of the legislation. Although it passed the House of Representatives, the bill stalled in the Senate. Additionally, Vote.org opposed modifications to Georgia’s voter ID regulations.
That same year, Vote.org worked alongside the CW and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law on the Freedom to Vote campaign aimed at expanding voter registration outreach across multiple platforms, building upon their previous Vote Actually initiative.
In 2023, the Department of Justice submitted a statement of interest in a lawsuit spearheaded by Vote.org contesting Florida’s law mandating wet signatures for voter registration. The legal challenge targeted limitations imposed by Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd and other officials.
In September 2023, pop icon Taylor Swift urged her 272 million Instagram followers to register through Vote.org, resulting in more than 35,000 new applications on National Voter Registration Day. This collaboration earned them a 2024 Webby Award for Best Creator or Influencer Partnership.
On National Voter Registration Day 2024, over 100 celebrities including Olivia Rodrigo, Stephen Curry, and Kerry Washington teamed up with Vote.org and Linktree to transform their profiles into voter registration platforms. This effort generated upwards of 150,000 new registrations—the most successful campaign in Vote.org’s history.
Controversies
During the summer of 2019, Vote.org's board dismissed its founder and CEO, Debra Cleaver, citing "differences in opinion." This decision led to major financial setbacks, including the withdrawal of a $4 million commitment from Sage Weil. Following Cleaver's departure, board member Andrea Hailey assumed the leadership role.
In October 2019, Vote.org launched a billboard campaign in Mississippi aimed at increasing voter participation; however, the advertisements contained incorrect election dates, which damaged the organization's reputation.
In August 2022, Cleaver initiated legal action against Vote.org, accusing the organization of wrongful termination and misuse of charitable funds.
An investigation published in May 2024 by The Chronicle of Philanthropy uncovered persistent challenges within Vote.org. These included regulatory noncompliance such as soliciting donations without appropriate state registration—particularly in New York between 2019 and late 2021—financial irregularities like unreported contributions and tax documents signed by contractors, as well as an ongoing lawsuit alleging disability discrimination.