We elected a more diverse, representative Congress than ever before, but the accomplishments of the 2018 midterm elections went beyond the new Congress. Voter turnout hit historic levels with an estimated 116 million votes cast — by comparison, approximately 84 million votes were cast nationwide in 2014. Voters of color and young people drove much of this increase, particularly through early voting. LCV Victory Fund partnered with Priorities USA and Latino Victory Fund, among others, to reach and turnout more voters of color and young people in places including California, Illinois, Texas, and New Mexico.
In addition to getting voters to the polls, LCV and our state affiliates supported a number of ballot initiatives to protect our democracy and advance fair, accessible, and open elections at the state-level. Ballot initiatives allow for direct democracy where the people determine if an approach to a critical issue is right for their community.
This year, we achieved some significant victories:
- In Florida, Amendment 4 passed, which restores voting rights to 1.4 million individuals who lost access due to a previous felony conviction. These individuals — who are disproportionately individuals of color — are now eligible to register to vote in future elections and will transform the Florida electorate in the 2020 election.
- In Michigan and Nevada, voters passed measures that will expand automatic voter registration, which will make voting easier and more accessible for all communities.
- In Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio, voters successfully passed ballot measures that will create or expand bipartisan or nonpartisan processes to redraw congressional and legislative district maps after each Census. These new approaches will help reduce the harmful impact of gerrymandering, which disproportionately disenfranchises communities of color by diluting their votes.
- In North Carolina, voters soundly rejected two ballot measures that would have weakened the authority of the governor by transferring the power to appoint judges, ethics officials, and election boards to the state legislature.
These ballot initiatives are signs of great progress. LCV and our state affiliates will continue to strive to build a stronger, more representative democracy at all levels of government.
Read more about our historic pro-environment majority.
