The Love Vote (LV) is a project of the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a left-of-center lobbying and advocacy organization managed by the for-profit consulting firm Arabella Advisors. ¹

LV uses video technology to increase voter turnout and influence viewers to vote for left-of-center candidates and policies. It supports proposals to allow felons, non-citizens, and teenagers to vote. LV has also advanced the implementation of strict gun control, liberal-expansionist immigration policy, and the Green New Deal environmentalist package. The project is led by Esther de Rothschild and was formed during the 2017 gubernatorial election in New Jersey. It has since spread its activities to Florida, Kentucky, and Alabama. ^{2 3}

Activities

LV recruits those who cannot vote to sign up, upload a video of their story, and encourage eligible voters to vote in favor of candidates and issues that the video creator supports. LV has spread videos created by non-citizens, citizens under 18, and felons advocating for the expansion of voting privileges to non-citizens, teenagers, and formerly convicted felons respectively. LV has also produced videos in support of left-of-center policy proposals, including the preservation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programs and the implementation of the Green New Deal. ⁴

LV posts the videos on its website and on social media and asks viewers to commit to voting by clicking on the “Promise to Vote” button next to the video. LV’s most recent post has garnered 285 votes, and some have likened the project to a crowdfunding website that raises votes rather than money. ^{5 6}

LV has claimed partial credit for the successful passage of Florida’s Amendment 4, which gave formerly incarcerated felons the right to vote, and the election of Democratic Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey. ⁷

LV has a limited social media presence, with followers totaling 992 on Facebook and 462 on Twitter. On social media, LV has expressed support for calls to implement strict gun control, lower the voting age, and provide voting rights to non-citizens. ^{8 9}

Arabella Advisors Connections

Though LV presents itself as a grassroots organization, it is one of 61 known projects of the left-of-center Sixteen Thirty Fund (1630 Fund). The 1630 Fund is one of four funds operated by the left-of-center Arabella Advisors, a for-profit consulting firm. Both organizations have been cited as leaders in providing “dark money” for Democratic Party candidates and left-of-center policy promotion. ^{10 11}

Leadership

Esther de Rothschild is credited as the founder of the Love Vote. She is a descendant of Gustave de Rothschild, a founder of the Rothschild banking dynasty. De Rothschild is also credited as one of the national organizers of the Women’s March on Washington in 2017. ^{12 13 14 15 16}

Vincho Nchogu is LV’s producer. Nchogu also works as a producer and director at Perlmutt Productions and Afronauts, two media production companies. ^{17 18}

Partners

LV lists a number of left-of-center partners across the United States. These include Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, a left-of-center group that advocates on education, environmental issues, and labor policy; the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC), a left-of center immigration advocacy organization; Rock the Vote, a left-leaning organization that encourages youth voter turnout; the New Florida Majority, an advocacy organization which works to expand voter turnout in traditionally left-leaning demographic groups; and the Movement Cooperative, a left-wing data and technology vendor. ¹⁹

Other LV partners include the Adelante-Alabama Worker Center, the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, the  Education Foundation of America, the Latino Coalition. Tusello Latino, La Familia Vota, and the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama. ²⁰

Funding

LV is a fiscally sponsored project of the 1630 Fund, meaning that it does not disclose independent financial reports to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). LV funding and expenditures are not specified on the 1630 Fund’s public disclosures.

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3. Curtis, Tim, and Non Partisan. “Florida Targeted by New Voter Engagement Group.” Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government., July 23, 2018. https://floridapolitics.com/archives/269431-florida-targeted-by-new-voter-engagement-group.
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11. Bland, Scott, and Maggie Severns. “Documents Reveal Massive ‘Dark-Money’ Group Boosted Democrats in 2018.” POLITICO. POLITICO, November 20, 2019. https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/19/dark-money-democrats-midterm-071725.
12. “Family Tree of Esther De ROTHSCHILD.” Geneanet. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://gw.geneanet.org/wikifrat?lang=en&n=de%2Brothschild&oc=0&p=esther&type=tree.
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14. “Esther De Rothschild.” IMDb. IMDb.com. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1799482/
15. Klein, Alyssa. “#FilmTheVote: 7 Film Projects That Got Out the Vote.” Shondaland, November 14, 2018. https://www.shondaland.com/act/a25018598/filmthevote-6-film-projects-that-got-out-the-vote/.
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20. “About.” The Love Vote. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://www.thelovevote.org/about/.