Give Us The Ballot is a left-of-center voting access campaign. It is a fiscally sponsored project of Resist This PAC, a political action committee. ^{1 2} It purports to “combat the assault on democracy” and “fight against racism,” and encourages people to donate $0.50 to $2.00 or more per day to help it “advance[e] racial justice in America” and protect voting rights by funding left-of-center nonprofits and supporting federal “voter rights” bills. ³

Activities

In May 2022, Give Us The Ballot was advertising a photography and art exhibition in Atlanta, Georgia set to take place from August 25 to September 30, 2022. In an advertisement for the exhibition, Give Us The Ballot said it would be “the backdrop of the March On For Voting Rights,” a planned “mass mobilization” to take place in Atlanta and across the country to commemorate the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 March on Washington. ⁴

The campaign is partnered with Movement Voter Project and Ground Work Project to “help construct [its] portfolio” of funded organizations. ⁵

Funding

Give Us The Ballot also raises money through small-dollar donations and fundraisers. As of May 2022, the campaign had raised about $1,200,000 toward a goal of $2 million dollars. ⁶

Give Us The Ballot collects donations and redirects them to Resist This PAC once a month. Resist This PAC in turn distributes these donations to left-wing advocacy group March On, which allegedly uses the donations to fund groups that it deems are “being the most effective.” Give Us The Ballot claims that it sends 80 percent of donations to fund said groups and 20 percent fund its donor-acquisition operations. ⁷

Give Us The Ballot claims that the only groups its donations can potentially fund are listed on its home page, which include local groups fighting “state-level suppression efforts,” initiatives that support a federal voter protection bill, and national advocacy groups like Color of Change, Drum Majors for Change, the Black Male Voter Project, and Black Voters Matter. ^{8 9}

Leadership

Give Us The Ballot was founded by Martin Luther King III and his wife Arndrea Waters King, who lead the Drum Major Institute. ¹⁰

Give Us The Ballot counts among its “co-founders” singer John Legend, Democratic politician Joe Kennedy III, athlete Russell Westbrook, professional NBA player Harrison Barnes, film producer Scott Budnick, actor Nate Parker, investor Mike Novogratz, and activists LaTosha Brown, Cliff Albright, Mondale Robinson, Hill Harper, and Erika Alexander. ¹¹

1. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Give Us The Ballot. Accessed May 16, 2022. https://www.giveustheballot.org/faq.
2. “Home.” ResistThisPac.org. Accessed May 16, 2022. https://www.resistthispac.org/.
3. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Give Us The Ballot. Accessed May 16, 2022. https://www.giveustheballot.org/faq
4. “Exhibition.” Give Us The Ballot. Accessed May 16, 2022. https://www.giveustheballot.org/exhibition.
5. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Give Us The Ballot. Accessed May 16, 2022. https://www.giveustheballot.org/faq.
6. ^[1] “Give Us The Ballot | Dollar Donations for Voting Rights!” Give Us The Ballot. Accessed May 16, 2022. https://www.giveustheballot.org/.
7. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Give Us The Ballot. Accessed May 16, 2022. https://www.giveustheballot.org/faq.
8. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Give Us The Ballot. Accessed May 16, 2022. https://www.giveustheballot.org/faq.
9. “Give Us The Ballot | Dollar Donations for Voting Rights!” Give Us The Ballot. Accessed May 16, 2022. https://www.giveustheballot.org/.
10. “Give Us The Ballot | Dollar Donations for Voting Rights!” Give Us The Ballot. Accessed May 16, 2022. https://www.giveustheballot.org/.
11. “Give Us The Ballot | Dollar Donations for Voting Rights!” Give Us The Ballot. Accessed May 16, 2022. https://www.giveustheballot.org/.