You Can Vote is a left-of-center nonprofit organization that engages in voter registration campaigns in North Carolina. It targets ethnic-minority communities to increase voter registration and distribute left-of-center ballot infographics. ¹

You Can Vote supports the elimination of election-integrity laws. It uses the identity politics concept of intersectionality to argue that election integrity laws and redistricting laws target ethnic minorities and other groups to prevent them from voting and having fair representation. ^{2 3}

Background

You Can Vote is a North Carolina-based left-of-center nonprofit organization that was founded in 2014 as a volunteer-led voter-registration group. In 2019, it filed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in anticipation of the 2020 election. ⁴

You Can Vote trains and organizes volunteers, provides resources, and campaigns to increase voter registration in the state of North Carolina. It targets specific communities, particularly ethnic minorities. Additionally, it distributes voter infographics at polling sites and at voter registration events that tell people to vote. ⁵

Advocacy

In April 2021, You Can Vote founder and executive director Kate Fellman supported arguments that voter identification laws were created to target Black Americans to prevent them from being able to vote in a press release. She advocated eliminating election integrity laws, using identity politics to argue that people with disabilities, low-income persons, and ethnic minorities are discriminated against by them. ⁶

Activities

You Can Vote trains volunteers to participate in its voter registration campaigns. Its campaigns educate people on who is eligible to vote and assist people with registering to vote. ⁷ Volunteers also hand out infographics to prospective voters, arguing that they should vote if they are interested in promoting environmentalism, funding social healthcare programs, and electing district attorneys who will use their discretion in choosing who to prosecute. ⁸

You Can Vote has a voter registration and information guide. It refers people to vote411.org to provide ballot information for upcoming elections. Vote411.org is a project of the left-of-center advocacy group League of Women Voters Education Fund,. The guide also provides directions and assistance for people to register to vote. ⁹

You Can Vote has a fellowship program where it works with North Carolina high schools and colleges to train students on how to engage in activism focused on voter registration and develop the skills necessary to hold a management position in philanthropy. ¹⁰

People

Kate Fellman is the founder and executive director of You Can Vote. Beginning in the late 2000’s, Fellman was an activist providing voter rights education up until 2014 when she began organizing volunteers and formed You Can Vote. ¹¹

Financials

According to its tax returns, You Can Vote reported $2.7 million in contributions in 2020 and $1.1 million in 2019. In both years, it did not report making any grants. ¹²

1. “Annual Reports.” You Can Vote. Accessed July 4, 2022. https://www.youcanvote.org/annual-reports.
2. Fellman, Kate. “Now Is the Time to Speak up for Voting Rights!” You Can Vote. You Can Vote, July 6, 2021. https://www.youcanvote.org/latest-news/2021/7/6/now-is-the-time-to-speak-up-for-voting-rights.
3. Fellman, Kate. “Voter ID on Trial: Why Simple Voting Paths Matter.” You Can Vote. You Can Vote, April 26, 2021. https://www.youcanvote.org/latest-news/2021/4/26/voter-id-on-trial-why-simple-voting-paths-matter.
4. “You Can Vote 2019.” Durham: You Can Vote, 2020. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c6493eefb18207f45208219/t/606724ff519e1170b959be61/1617372417600/YCV+2019+Annual+Report+Infographic.pdf
5. “Annual Reports.” You Can Vote. Accessed July 4, 2022. https://www.youcanvote.org/annual-reports.
6. Fellman, Kate. “Voter ID on Trial: Why Simple Voting Paths Matter.” You Can Vote. You Can Vote, April 26, 2021. https://www.youcanvote.org/latest-news/2021/4/26/voter-id-on-trial-why-simple-voting-paths-matter.
7. “You Can Vote.” You Can Vote. Accessed July 4, 2022. https://www.youcanvote.org/.
8. “Annual Reports.” You Can Vote. Accessed July 4, 2022. https://www.youcanvote.org/annual-reports.
9. “Voting Guide.” You Can Vote. Accessed July 4, 2022. https://www.youcanvote.org/voter-guide.
10. “Annual Reports.” You Can Vote. Accessed July 4, 2022. https://www.youcanvote.org/annual-reports.
11. “Our Team.” You Can Vote. Accessed July 4, 2022. https://www.youcanvote.org/team.
12. Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). You Can Vote. 2019-2020. Part I, Lines 8-18.