Minnesota Census and Democracy Partnership Meeting: Impact of the Minnesota Democracy Expansion Fund and 2023 Democracy Reforms

Minnesota Census and Democracy Partnership Meeting: Impact of the Minnesota Democracy Expansion Fund and 2023 Democracy Reforms

During the 2023 legislative session Minnesota enacted a sweeping set of historic reforms including automatic voter registration, Restore the Vote, and more. These reforms sought to expand the electorate, increase voting access, and add safeguards against threats to our democracy. The Minnesota Democracy Expansion Fund was established to fund organizations working to support successful implementation of these reforms.  The Minnesota Council on Foundations has commissioned an evaluation report detailing the impact of these reforms and the stories of community leaders who led the charge. Join us to learn about how these reforms have shaped the future of voting in Minnesota, challenges and opportunities, and the ways communities organized to ensure Minnesotans received the full benefit of these changes. 

Our incredible speakers include:

• Minnesota Secretary of State, Steve Simon - will discuss how the new changes directly impacted voter turnout and our current moment in democracy.
• Lee Vue, Creative Senior Specialist with Seiche, - will share the key findings and themes from the evaluation report
• Community Leader Panel – will share how they worked all throughout 2024 and beyond to engage their communities on the new reforms. 
  • Antonio Williams, Founder & Executive Director, T.O.N.E. U.P.
  • Ojunie Ochalla, Programs Director, Central MN Community Empowerment Org (CMCEO) 
  • Xorr Xiong, Organizing & Partnership Director, Future of Us
     

We will also engage in a community discussion where attendees will be able to share what civic engagement or democracy issues they are working on and what’s needed to sustain this work. We will also share updates and resources such as the Our Power Our Democracy Map.

MCF takes seriously the health of staff, members and other stakeholders. Please see the public health measures that we've instituted for in-person programming. In order to create the best in-person experience, this event will not be simulcast. Learn more here.

Lunch will be provided. Please update your online MCF profile with any dietary restrictions or notify the MCF staff person listed below. We will attempt to accommodate all requests made at least one week prior to the event. This event is hosted by the Minnesota Census and Democracy Partnership. 

For additional information, please reach out to May Yang, [email protected].