Stories of Local Activism #2
Center for Common Ground
Mobilizing Voters of Color in Voter-Suppression States
Nationwide, especially the South
Founded in 2018, the Center for Common Ground (CFCG) is a nonpartisan, Black- and women-led voting-rights organization working in states where voter suppression systematically targets communities of color. It focuses on Southern and Sunbelt states where more than 20% of voters are voters of color, including Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.
CFCG centers its work on a simple premise: that democracy works best when voters of color are fully informed, fully included, and fully heard. Collaborating with local partners, they contact voters that major campaigns often overlook and provide practical, nonpartisan information about registration, early voting, and Election Day options.
See how volunteers are educating voters.
Mission
The Center for Common Ground’s mission is to educate and empower voters of color in voter-suppression states and to build a democracy that prioritizes the voices of all people.
What They Do
Center for Common Ground provides infrastructure, training, and digital tools to help communities of color overcome voter suppression and fully participate in elections.
Their work is organized around four core pillars.
1. Reclaim Our Vote
Voter Outreach Campaigns
A grassroots campaign that increases BIPOC (“Black, Indigenous, People of Color”) voter turnout through handwritten postcards, phonebanking, and texting, focused on voter-suppression states and races where Black and other voters of color are heavily targeted
2. Democracy Centers
Community-based hubs in BIPOC neighborhoods, especially where more than half of eligible voters typically do not vote. These centers offer year-round civic education, help with voter information, and broader work on community wealth, energy democracy, and local power-building.
3. Students for Voting Justice
A paid internship program that trains college students as organizers against systemic voter suppression and engages them in get-out-the-vote and civic education work
4. Digital & Direct Outreach
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Phonebanking: live and voicemail outreach that gives voters accurate, localized election information
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Postcarding: colorful, handwritten postcards using scripts developed with local organizers of color
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Texting: targeted texting campaigns to low-engagement voters of color using registration and turnout information
Theory of Change
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Access
Voters of color in suppression states face structural barriers—purges, limited polling sites, confusing ID rules, and misinformation. By contacting voters directly with clear, nonpartisan information, CFCG reduces information gaps and lowers the friction of voting.
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Trust
Scripts and campaigns are developed in collaboration with local organizers of color, making outreach feel culturally grounded and credible rather than transactional. This builds trust in both the messengers and the democratic process.
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Power
Sustained engagement beyond presidential cycles helping communities of color move from being mobilized occasionally to becoming long-term power holders in local and state politics, shifting whose voices are prioritized in democracy
IMPACT
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10.4+ million postcards sent to voters for registration, early-voting lists, pledge-to-vote, and get-out-the-vote campaigns, with capacity growing from ~800 postcards per week to 500,000 per week at peak
Measured Turnout Gains
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8.2% increase in Black voter turnout in the 2024 Virginia general election among voters who received CFCG postcards, compared to similar non-postcarded voters
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3.6% increase in Black voter turnout in the 2024 Georgia general election among postcarded voters in the targeted group
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5.9% increase in Black voter turnout when CFCG left a voicemail for voters during the 2022 Virginia state elections in Petersburg
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17.3% increase in Black voter turnout when volunteers had a live conversation with voters in the same 2022 Petersburg elections
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2% increase in Black early voting turnout in Mecklenburg, NC, precincts canvassed during 2024
It is a wonderful organization that works in voter suppression states. It helps people to be able to vote despite all the myriad obstacles in their way through postcards, phone calls, texting, and canvassing. Center leaders, deeply rooted in their communities, work tirelessly to build trust, empower residents, and advocate for equitable policies. By fostering ongoing dialogue and collaboration, they are revitalizing civic engagement and restoring faith in democracy.
Judith, Regional Organizer, San Francisco, CA
I phone bank because it reflects my values. I love talking to people in places like Georgia, working against voter suppression and white supremacy. It makes me feel useful and connected.
Carol Whitman, Volunteer Team Leader
There was a guy who picked up on his cell phone, he was at a family reunion … with 45 people! I told him to tell everyone to vote and he was very positive about that!
Laura, Phone Bank Volunteer
Take Action
Support Center for Common Ground’s work to build a more inclusive democracy.
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Volunteer: Join phonebanks, postcarding, texting, or Democracy Center activities.
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Partner: Collaborate as a congregation, community group, campus, or local organization in target states.
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Invest: Donate to expand data access, community programs, and paid GOTV campaigns that reach underrepresented voters of color.
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Share this story with your network.
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Contact the Team: info@centerforcommonground.org
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Visit their Website: www.centerforcommonground.org
