For years now PWN has established itself as a leader in voter organizing throughout the country. We see voting as harm reduction; engaging our people in the civic process is something we will keep doing no matter who is in office. We are setting out to build power in our communities one campaign at a time!
In 2024, PWN-USA ran three voter engagement campaigns during the fall election season in Texas-Greater Houston Area, Pennsylvania, and Colorado. Our campaigns focused on the issues that matter most to our members: abortion rights, harm reduction, & decarcerating public health.
But we’re not just doing voter engagement work in these three states; PWN is a resource for people living with HIV across the country! That’s why we also created the 2024 #PWNVotes Resource Hub. It includes everything from basic information like how to find out if you’re registered to vote and where your polling locations are, to in-depth nonpartisan voter guides geared toward different issues and communities, and even a voter safety guide. This toolkit helped advocates quickly find all the information they needed to vote confidently and help others do so too!
We are incredibly proud of our PWN members, volunteers, campaign leaders, and national staff who showed up in ways beyond our wildest imagination, working countless hours and bringing joy and hope with them every step of the way. Through their efforts, we knocked on over 100,000 doors and called over 300,000 voters to build power in our communities, educate folks about the issues that matter to us, and get out the vote!
Find out more about each chapter’s campaign by clicking on the tabs below!
What was at stake:
Ever since the fall of Roe v. Wade in 2022, PWN-CO has been leading the way to make this state a safe place for all people seeking bodily autonomy. As the number of abortion bans rises across the country, we know how important a state like Colorado is and will continue to be.
The CO chapter had been talking about reproductive justice with community members for years, and this election, abortion was on the ballot! Amendment 79 would make abortion a constitutional right in Colorado, prohibiting state and local governments from denying the right to abortion, and it would repeal an existing ban on the use of public funds on abortion services.
Who we reached:
We know that the best way to reach voters is by talking directly with our people—BIPOC that no one else is talking to during the election season. PWN-CO phone banked and door knocked over 20,000 unlikely voters in the Denver area during the general election. Members and volunteers held over 1,300 conversations with voters, educating them about Amendment 79, persuading them to vote in favor of reproductive freedom, and helping supporters of abortion to create a voting plan.
Our incredible CO team made all of this happen:
- 20,000+ phone calls attempted
- 3,500+ doors knocked
- 550+ voters identified in favor of abortion rights
- 76% of identified supporters made their voting plans with PWN
“I’ve been involved with PWN almost four years and been a part of the campaigns. Getting involved with the community, building trust, and getting to know them was a great experience. I plan to continue to work with PWN for many more campaigns as well as anything else they may need my help with. The PWN Colorado chapter is loving, caring, and feels like family.” – Toi Hughes, a Colorado canvasser.
On election day…
Early and mail-in voting are so common in Colorado that our team opts to stay on the street to remind voters that it’s election day. They create beautiful signs with catchy slogans and dress in elaborate costumes, encouraging everyone on the busy Denver streets to get to the polls.
This year our CO team noticed the unusually long lines at the polls and decided to go support voters there to ensure they stayed in line and made their voices heard. They brought snacks and water to several polling locations, waiting outside in the cold, and even heard from several voters that had it not been for the sustenance we provided they would have given up and gone home!
How we’re building power:
Colorado was definitely a bright spot in the election results: Amendment 79 passed! This victory is so important not only for Coloradans; the state is now a safe haven for everyone in need of abortion care in bordering states and beyond.
This win comes after three years of campaigns engaging Colorado voters about reproductive justice and abortion. We continued to build trust in the communities we visit, and supported folks with their voting needs. We also identified hundreds more folks who share our values, and plan to keep reaching out to them in coming elections.
What was at stake:
In 2023, Philadelphia elected a new mayor who has focused on dismantling life-saving harm reduction culture, tools, and resources—recently removing all funding for safe syringe programs (SSP’s) even though Philadelphia has the country’s largest open-air drug market. SSP’s keep communities safe by providing education, resources that prevent overdoses, and link people to testing and care. Nearly 30 years of research shows that SSPs are safe, effective, cost-saving, and don’t increase unlawful drug use or crime. PWN-PA identified how this issue is impactful to their communities, and ran a huge campaign at a time when the world’s eyes were on Pennsylvania.
Who we reached:
Pennsylvania continues to be an extremely important state for national elections. We spoke to low propensity voters in West Pennsylvania and North Philly during the highly contested presidential election. Philadelphia is home to communities that care deeply about one another. We know the same is true about folks who we talked to in West PA. Our PA chapter lives in these communities. We hired and spoke to thousands of potential voters in North Philly and Allegheny County/West PA. We focused on phone banking in both North Philly and West PA, while we canvassed (knocked doors) in North Philly starting in October. Members and volunteers held thousands of conversations with voters, educating them about safe syringe programs, and identifying over 1,300 Philadelphia voters in favor of reinstating funding for SSP’s.
Our incredible PA team made all of this happen:
- 60,000+ phone calls made
- 37,500+ doors knocked
- 11,300+ conversations with voters
- 1,300+ voters identified in favor of safe syringe programs
“One of my favorite moments was talking with folks that I hadn’t seen in years. There’s an older gentleman on 25th Street who said, ‘I am the Mayor of this block, and we are going to vote,’” said Colette White, a PA canvasser.
On election day…
PWN-PA hosted parties at the polls in two locations complete with free food and drinks, face painting and bounce houses for the kids, and even live DJs! They kept voters nourished, entertained, and informed while demonstrating the importance of community in civic engagement.
“Educating our community is important,” said Colette. “There is a need to give folks correct information and motivate them to get out to vote.”
How we’re building power:
Currently, Mayor Parker’s administration is trying to build a stadium in the heart of Chinatown and using issues connected to people who use drugs to push their capitalist agenda and displace the local community. PWN-PA spoke with thousands of voters in North Philadelphia who want to fight against the harmful impacts of the Mayor’s administration.
Our focus reaches far beyond one election or its results. Now more than ever, it’s critical to nurture and build a community that is ready to fight. We continued building trust and recognition throughout North Philadelphia, and developed the skills and leadership of dozens of folks living with HIV and allies.
“Our leaders did a great job and gave us support when we needed it. The whole team was supportive of each other.” – Colette White
What was at stake:
Black pregnant people in Texas are facing criminalization, the threat of criminalization, surveillance, and even death at alarming rates. The Greater Houston Area chapter of PWN-TX ran a campaign focused on educating voters on the important role that the District Attorney and Sheriff both play in criminalizing abortion.
Our PWN-GHA chapter members are passionate about reproductive justice, increasingly so since abortion bans began taking effect in the state of Texas after the fall of Roe v. Wade; they recognize the connection between criminalizing people for seeking reproductive health and criminalizing people living with HIV. No one should be criminalized for their health.
Who we reached:
PWN-GHA focused on phone banking in staggering numbers this fall! In addition to phone calls, chapter members engaged the community tabling at local events and participating in a non-partisan candidates forum. They had thousands of conversations with voters encouraging them to elect candidates who vowed to lobby against anti-abortion bills, and who would not prioritize investigations against abortion care seekers and providers.
Our incredible GHA team made all of this happen:
- Nearly 120,000 phone calls attempted!!!
- 15,500+ conversations with voters
“My proudest moment was encouraging a young man that felt as if politicians were going to do what they wanted to do and that his vote didn’t matter,” said Jessica Erves, a Houston phone banker. “I assured him of his importance and how powerful his vote is. I told him if people continued to not vote in our communities, it would only get worse. We also talked about the importance of holding elected officials accountable and how the fight for equal justice doesn’t stop after we vote. He assured me that he would get out to vote and tell his buddies to vote.” – Jessica Erves, Houston phone banker.
On election day…
PWN-GHA chapter members and allies braved the pouring rain and spent all day camped outside of a busy polling location in Harris County, providing snacks and drinks, support, and information to voters on their way to cast their ballot. They compared turnout at the same polling location with past elections and found this one had nearly four times as many voters!
A crucial component of GHA’s strategy on election day is monitoring for cases of voter suppression and reporting and correcting them should they arise.
How we’re building power:
Although the presidential election was at the top of voters’ minds, we stressed the importance of voting all the way down the ballot and affecting change at the local level—a critical final line of defense in a state where abortion is criminalized.
Our GHA chapter builds stronger connections and influence each year by working in collaboration with other values aligned groups to build an organizing network in Harris County. Our members understand the importance of building communities invested in shifting the conditions of their reality. These organizing and support networks will prove invaluable as we work to protect our people in the coming years.
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