Other Group

IssueVoter

Website:

issuevoter.org

Location:

Washington, DC

Type:

Voter Awareness Service

Founded:

2016

President:

Maria Yuan

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IssueVoter is an online service which provides summaries of proposed legislation in Congress. It also offers a platform for constituents to send comments to their representatives. Founded by Maria Yuan, a former state senate campaign manager, IssueVoter describes itself as nonpartisan and claims that its summaries of legislation are unbiased because they rely on direct quotes from lawmakers and present arguments from both sides.

Yuan herself does not disclose the party of the candidate for whom she worked, though she has confirmed that she previously interned for a Texas Democratic state representative. 1 2 IssueVoter has also hired interns with prior backgrounds as College Democrats members and LGBT activists. 3 4 One former intern is on record endorsing radical-left activist Hasan Piker, a former contributor to the Young Turks Network who has worked with the pro-abortion and pro-LGBT group Muslims for Progressive Values, as well as the Black Lives Matter anti-law enforcement movement. 5 6

Impact

IssueVoter founder Maria Yuan claims that the service has sent more than two million communications, both to voters and from constituents to their representatives. She also says that IssueVoter has users in all 435 congressional districts. 7 In addition, IssueVoter received positive coverage from CNN in the aftermath of the 2020 election cycle, with one of the left-leaning news network’s official social media accounts posting a clip promoting the service and encouraging viewers to support it financially through a CNN donation website. 8 The IssueVoter website claims that 83 percent of users were motivated to attend a town hall meeting, volunteer for a cause, or engage in other forms of civic action, and that 74 percent were “exposed to new viewpoints.” 9

Partners

IssueVoter collaborates with Simpson College in Iowa, as well as with activist groups such as 1% for the Planet, an environmentalist organization which pushes for corporations to promote its message, and Higher Heights, which promotes left-of-center Black female political candidates. In addition, the service has a cross-promotional arrangement with New York City-based fashion brand Andi Earth, which is also affiliated with 1% for the Planet. 10 11

Backers

IssueVoter has received funding from several investment firms, including Halcyon Incubator, Fast Forward Consulting Services, and Gray Matters Capital. 12 Halcyon touts its policy of choosing companies to invest in on the basis of their minority demographics or left-wing corporate culture: the firm openly states its preference for companies attempting to exert political influence on the business world, and advertises the fact that more than 70 percent of its funding recipients’ founders are “a woman or nonbinary,” “of color,” or both. 13 Fast Forward similarly encourages its funding recipients to help advance a left-wing cultural agenda and highlights the fact that the companies it has invested in are disproportionately run by women, gender-nonconforming individuals, and racial minorities. 14 Meanwhile, Gray Matters primarily bills itself as an investor into businesses run by women in third-world countries. 15

Leadership

Maria Yuan is the founder of IssueVoter. She was previously an intern for Texas state representative Jim McReynolds (D-Lufkin) and also worked on a state senate campaign in Iowa. Yuan attended the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and the University of Texas-Austin. 16 17

References

  1. “We Are IssueVoter.” IssueVoter. Accessed April 22, 2023. https://issuevoter.org/misc/about
  2. “This Millennial Entrepreneur Talks Politics, Activism, and…How to Vote?” Career Contessa. Accessed April 22, 2023. https://www.careercontessa.com/interviews/maria-yuan-issue-voter/
  3. “IssueVoter Spotlight: Sebastian Hartley.” IssueVoter Blog. August 15, 2022. Accessed April 22, 2023. https://blog.issuevoter.org/issuevoter-spotlight-sebastian-hartley-e99e47f905c6
  4. “IssueVoter Spotlight: Kate Gilberd.” IssueVoter Blog. August 15, 2022. Accessed April 22, 2023. https://blog.issuevoter.org/issuevoter-spotlight-kate-gilberd-6e283fe06801
  5. “IssueVoter Spotlight: Moctar Ayeva.” IssueVoter Blog. August 15, 2022. Accessed April 22, 2023. https://blog.issuevoter.org/issuevoter-spotlight-moctar-ayeva-58cb67e037ae
  6. “Hasan Piker.” Politicon. Accessed April 22, 2023. https://politicon.com/speaker/hasan-piker/
  7. “Maria Yuan.” Fearless Communicators. Accessed April 22, 2023. https://www.fearlesscommunicators.com/maria-yuan/
  8. CNN Heroes. “IssueVoter is keeping…” Facebook. December 8, 2020. Accessed April 22, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/CNNHeroes/videos/donate-now-issue-voter/424216815416405/
  9. “We Are IssueVoter.” IssueVoter. Accessed April 22, 2023. https://issuevoter.org/misc/about
  10. “Help Us Make Meaningful Change.” IssueVoter. Accessed April 22, 2023. https://issuevoter.org/get-involved
  11. Andi Earth. Accessed April 22, 2023. https://theandibrand.com/
  12. “”IssueVoter.” PitchBook. Accessed April 22, 2023. https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/233247-79
  13. [1]“Impact.” Halcyon. Accessed April 22, 2023. https://www.halcyonhouse.org/about/impact/
  14. [1]“Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Guidelines.” Fast Forward. Accessed April 22, 2023. https://www.ffwd.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/
  15. “Finding Purpose with 100 million women.” Gray Matters Capital. Accessed April 22, 2023. https://graymatterscap.com/about/
  16. “This Millennial Entrepreneur Talks Politics, Activism, and…How to Vote?” Career Contessa. Accessed April 22, 2023. https://www.careercontessa.com/interviews/maria-yuan-issue-voter/
  17. “Maria Yuan.” Fearless Communicators. Accessed April 22, 2023. https://www.fearlesscommunicators.com/maria-yuan/
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IssueVoter


Washington, DC