Guarantee Our Votes Project is a project of the Center for Innovative Policy (CIP), a social-welfare think tank focused on developing and disseminating left-of-center public policy for the state level. ¹ Guarantee Our Votes Project, Center for Innovative Policy (CIP), and the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) share leaders and financial contributors.

Background

Guarantee Our Votes Project is a project of the Center for Innovative Policy (CIP), a think tank focused on developing and disseminating left-of-center public policy at the state level. ² CIP listed Guarantee Our Votes Project as a related organization on its 2022 tax returns, and Guarantee Our Votes Project shares the same address as CIP. ^{3 4}

Financials

Guarantee Our Votes Project became an approved nonprofit effective March 30, 2021, ⁵ and reported gross receipts under $50,000. ⁶ It is registered under the category of voter education and registration. ⁷

Guarantee Our Votes Project received $30,000 in funding from CIP in 2022 per CIP’s 2022 tax return. ⁸

Leadership

Open Corporates lists Noam Lee, Stephen Hill, and Wendi Wallace as officers of Guarantee Our Votes Project. ⁹ Lee and Hill were also listed as officers of CIP with Hill joining in 2015 and Lee joining in 2020. ^{10 11} Lee, Hill, and Wallace were all hired or promoted to senior staff positions at the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) in 2019. ¹² DGA is an independent political fundraising group that supports Democratic governors and candidates through campaigning and providing resources and funds. ^{13 14}

Noam Lee is identified as the principal officer of Guarantee Our Votes Project on its Form 990-N (e-Postcard) tax return for 2021 and 2022. ¹⁵ Lee was executive director of Democratic Governors Association (DGA) from 2019 to January 2023. He has been a Democratic organizer since 2006, supporting campaigns for several Democratic candidates, including former Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), and working as a finance director for the Democratic Party of Virginia and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. He joined DGA in 2013 .¹⁶ He founded Washington D.C. political consultancy Birdseye Strategies in January 2023 and is a member of the American Association of Political Consultants. ^{17 18}

Wendi Wallace became an officer of Guarantee Our Votes Project in 2021 when it was incorporated. ¹⁹ She was named deputy executive director of DGA in February 2019 and continued in that role until March 2023. She is a partner at Technicolor Political, a media messaging organization that works with political campaigns. Some of its clients include the Alaska Democratic Party, Ohio Democratic Party chairman David Pepper, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), former U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY), Campus Vote Project, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. ²⁰ Previously Wallace worked at Americans for Financial Reform, Democracy Alliance, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America. ^{21 22}

Stephen Hill became an officer of Guarantee Our Votes Project in 2021 when it was incorporated. ²³ Hill was named chief operating officer of DGA in February 2019. He joined the organization in 2015. Previously Hill worked as a voter contact and a consultant with the goal of electing Democrats to office. ²⁴

1. Center for Innovative Policy website. Accessed January 17, 2024. https://www.centerforinnovativepolicy.org/
2. Center for Innovative Policy website. Accessed January 17, 2024. https://www.centerforinnovativepolicy.org/
3. Center for Innovative Policy. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990 – Schedule R). 2022.
4. Determination Letter. Internal Revenue Service. Accessed January 17, 2024. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/
5. Determination Letter. Internal Revenue Service. Accessed January 17, 2024. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/
6. “Guarantee Our Votes Project.” Internal Revenue Service. Accessed January 17, 2024. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/
7. “Guarantee Our Votes Project.” GuideStar profile. Accessed January 18, 2024. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/86-2625901
8. Center for Innovative Policy. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990 – Schedule I). 2022.
9. “Guarantee Our Votes Project.” Open Corporates. Accessed January 17, 2024. https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_dc/EXTUID_4296910
10. Center for Innovative Policy. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990 – Part VII). 2015.
11. Center for Innovative Policy. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990 – Part VII). 2020.
12. “DGA Announces Senior Staff.” DGA. February 20, 2019. Accessed January 17, 2024. https://democraticgovernors.org/updates/dga-announces-senior-staff-2/
13. “About Us.” DGA. Accessed January 17, 2024. https://democraticgovernors.org/about/
14. [email protected]. “Democratic governor’s group pledges $75 million to reelect seven governors.” Minnesota Right Now. May 5, 2022. Accessed January 18, 2024. https://minnesotarightnow.com/2022/05/05/democratic-governors-group-pledges-75-million-to-reelect-seven-governors/
15. “Guarantee Our Votes Project.” Internal Revenue Service. Accessed January 17, 2024. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/
16. “DGA Announces New Executive Director.” DGA. December 3, 2018. Accessed January 18, 2024. https://democraticgovernors.org/updates/dga-announces-new-executive-director/
17. LinkedIn – Noam Lee. Accessed January 17, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/noam-lee-788360a/details/experience/
18. “Noam Lee.” American Association of Political Consultants. Accessed January 18, 2024. https://theaapc.org/event_speaker/noam-lee/
19. ^[1] “Events for Guarantee Our Votes Project.” Open Corporates – Guarantee Our Votes Project. Accessed January 18, 2024. https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_dc/EXTUID_4296910/events
20. “Our Clients.” Technicolor Political. Accessed January 18, 2024. https://www.technicolorpolitical.com/clients
21. ^[1] “DGA Announces Senior Staff.” DGA. February 20, 2019. Accessed January 18, 2024. https://democraticgovernors.org/updates/dga-announces-senior-staff-2/
22. LinkedIn – Wendi Wallace. Accessed January 18, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendirwallace/
23. ^[1] “Events for Guarantee Our Votes Project.” Open Corporates – Guarantee Our Votes Project. Accessed January 18, 2024. https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_dc/EXTUID_4296910/events
24. ^[1] “DGA Announces Senior Staff.” DGA. February 20, 2019. Accessed January 18, 2024. https://democraticgovernors.org/updates/dga-announces-senior-staff-2/