The Alliance for Emerging Power is Common Cause’s youth program. It includes our Internship Program, The Student Action Alliance Democracy Fellowship, The Ambassador Program, and Election Protection Fellowship. We work to build the next generation of democracy leaders through advancing their advocacy and leadership skills. We equip them with the tools they need to hold power accountable on their campus, in their community, and beyond. We expand their network and move them up the ladder of civic engagement to either boost their career or volunteer trajectory.
The Alliance for Emerging Power provides trainings on organizing, base building, and get out the vote (GOTV) to develop the next generation of civic leaders. Our trainings have prepared students to run campaigns for Student Government, city council, and issue areas they are passionate about like student loan debt and the treatment of unhoused community members. Our alumni network hold campus, community, and non-profit leadership positions.
Members of the alliance advocate for change on their campus, in their community, in their state legislature, and in congress. The voting rights advocacy skills they develop allow them to advocate for changes on a variety of issues such as cannabis legalization, reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, community resources, and criminal justice reform.
The work doesn’t stop at a completed voter registration form, it is just beginning. Every year we collect hundreds of pledges to vote so that we can provide young people with the tools they need to cast their ballot with confidence. We want to make sure they know how to research candidates, where to find nonpartisan information, how to find their polling site, and help them determine their best option for when to vote. Young people move around a lot so understanding their current location’s voting laws can be confusing. It is also important that young people understand the impact their vote can make in regard to the changes that want to see.
The Alliance for Emerging Power works to make voting fun and exciting! From parties at the polls to arranging transportation to the polls and text banking thousands of people reminders, our members spend countless hours making sure that young people turn out to vote.
The alliance also trains hundreds of young people to be election protection volunteers every election cycle. We know that if someone young experiences an issue they are more likely to express their concern with someone who they can identify with. We prioritize putting youth volunteers at polling sites on campus and near campus. In 2020, we were also able to recruit young people to monitor social sites for disinformation and to connect those posting about voting issues to the election protection hotline.
