“True progress does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability...it does not happen with the mere passage of time, from one day to the next or one year to the next. True progress occurs when people make a decision to work together, march together and fight together.”
— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr
The Organizing Institute for Democracy is a 501c3 non-profit organization created to protect and expand the fundamental right of one person, one vote — especially for immigrants and people of color — through trainings, workshops, state and local initiatives, special convenings, and legal strategies.
We are committed to a democracy that embraces the “politics of presence” — where all members of a community participate in determining who governs. And where the right to vote is not solely determined by one’s classification as a legal citizen. This must change.
The OID was born out of the successful historic campaign to recall Senate President Russell Pearce - author of SB 1070, the anti-immigrant law passed in 2010 (learn more here), and two additional campaigns to hold Sheriff Arpaio accountable by removing him from office.
For the past 200 plus years, there have been examples of legal residents, and sometimes individuals who are not even legal residents, being given the opportunity to vote in local and state elections.
There needs to be a way by which legal residents can and should be able to participate in elections that impact their lives and their families.
We aim to increase accountability for local and county governments to increasing voter participation.