WHO WE ARE

Power to the Polls WI is a black led community-based organizing project created by civil rights leaders, faith leaders, labor unions, and activists across Wisconsin. Our goal is to fundamentally change the way we organize and mobilize Black, Brown, and working-class communities in Wisconsin, remove barriers to the ballot box, and give power back to people who are all too often left behind.

At Power to the Polls, we believe in:

Building a year-round voter mobilization operation focused on Black, Brown, and working-class voters
Changing the narrative of “low propensity” voters into that of “high opportunity” voters
Creating outreach campaigns that utilizes the latest tools and technology to meet potential voters where they are - and tell compelling stories in all the mediums where people get their information
Empowering community members to get engaged and involved, and create a new base of well-trained organizers who can be regularly deployed around key issues and actions
Making a measurable impact on civic participation within our target audience

WHAT WE DO

We're joining forces to protect our freedoms.

Power to the Polls WI is getting organized to protect our freedoms – our freedom to vote, to earn a living wage, to love who we love, to decide if and when we want to start a family, and to thrive as Wisconsinites. Voting is our collective power and regardless of age, race, zip code, ability status, or economic status, we deserve the chance to make our voices heard. Whether you vote in every election, or are planning to vote for the first time – we'll meet you where you're at. '

We run robust and unapologetically ambitious campaigns focused in Black and Brown communities because we know there are institutional and structural barriers intentionally trying to silence our voices. We're teaming up with partners across the state to make it known just how powerful our votes are in every election.

Our Successes

Since 2023, we have knocked on over 1,020,000 doors, engaging in over 170,000 conversations with voters. We deployed over 1,000 community organizers across communities like Milwaukee, Green Bay, Racine, Kenosha, Sheboygan, and Appleton, and our digital, radio, and streaming advertisements were seen over 72,000,000 times.

Thanks in part to these efforts, turnout in Milwaukee actually increased in 2024 vs 2020, and Milwaukee was the #1 city in the United States for voter turnout percentage – while cities like Detroit, Philadelphia, and Chicago saw significant declines. Our targets also saw some of the lowest shifts to GOP support in the nation – far outpacing similar urban areas in all other swing states.

In the spring 2025 Supreme Court race, we saw a 10-point increase in voter turnout across Milwaukee compared to the 2023 spring election. Much of that surge came from the city’s North Side which is home to Milwaukee’s highest concentration of Black voters – and where the bulk of our target voters were. Milwaukee’s election chief called the turnout “unprecedented.”

In just its first three years of existence, Power to the Polls has helped to:

Flip and then hold the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Flip the Green Bay City Council
Flip 3 State Senate Seats & 3 State Assembly Seats
Re-elect Governor Tony Evers
Re-elect U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin
Win 3 Critical Seats on the Racine City Council

WHO WE WORK WITH

Meet our Partners.

At Power to the Polls WI, we believe we are stronger when every voice has a seat at the table, and we couldn't do this work without our local, state, and national partners.

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