A New Playbook for Voter Engagement

In California and across the nation, funders, government officials, and nonprofit organizations want to know what works to get more eligible voters to participate in elections, especially those who traditionally have been underrepresented at the polls. A collaborative initiative in two California counties provides some answers.

In 2024, San Mateo and Yolo Counties launched innovative programs designed to educate local voters about how, when, and where to vote—based on recently adopted reforms under the California Voter’s Choice Act. The programs were a partnership between the two counties, local foundations, and nonprofit organizations that were funded to lead voter education initiatives focused on underrepresented communities.

In a new report on the initiatives, the project partners share the story of how their collaborative efforts reached large numbers of voters across the two counties and likely contributed to higher-than-expected voter participation in the 2024 election. Two companion briefs parse out important lessons for funders and election officials about how to advance similar efforts in other communities in California and nationwide.

The Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund was honored to support the partnerships, alongside the Yolo Community Foundation, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and the elections offices of the two counties.