The Voter Education Project (VEP) began in 1962 as part of the Southern Regional Council. Initially VEP granted funds to civil rights organizations to support voter education, voter registration drives, and voting-related research. In 1964, Vernon Jordan, the second executive director of the VEP, expanded the programs goals to include citizenship training, voter education, and leadership training in the southern United States, while continuing to provide funds to independent voter and civil rights groups, including the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and the League of Women Voters. The VEP’s work with the League of Women Voters is highlighted in the materials below. In 1971, VEP under the leadership of John Lewis, became an independent organization and functioned as a research center and became known as an authoritative source for statistics on southern elections and voter registration in general. Lewis also forged the VEP into an activist organization, launching Voter Mobilization Tours with Georgia state legislator and civil rights advocate Julian Bond. At the AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library we are always striving to improve our digital collections. We welcome additional information about people, places, or events depicted in any of the works in this collection. To submit information, please contact us at DSD@auctr.edu.
Sep 4, 2020

Voter Education Project Organizational Records

The Voter Education Project (VEP) began in 1962 as part of the Southern Regional Council. Initially VEP granted funds to civil rights organizations to support voter education, voter registration drives, and voting-related research. In 1964, Vernon Jordan, the second executive director of the VEP, expanded the programs goals to include citizenship training, voter education, and leadership training in the southern United States, while continuing to provide funds to independent voter and civil rights groups, including the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and the League of Women Voters. The VEP’s work with the League of Women Voters is highlighted in the materials below. In 1971, VEP under the leadership of John Lewis, became an independent organization and functioned as a research center and became known as an authoritative source for statistics on southern elections and voter registration in general. Lewis also forged the VEP into an activist organization, launching Voter Mobilization Tours with Georgia state legislator and civil rights advocate Julian Bond.

At the AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library we are always striving to improve our digital collections. We welcome additional information about people, places, or events depicted in any of the works in this collection. To submit information, please contact us at DSD@auctr.edu.
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  • Decade = 1970-1979
Article on how the VEP's year long registration drive and record Black turnout resulted in President-elect Jimmy Carter's victory in the South and several congressional candidates, with a post-election survey showing the Black turnout in 11 Southern states was 60 to 70 per cent and 95 per cent of the Black vote believed to have gone to Carter. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Record Vote by Blacks Aided Carter", November 8, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-08
Description
Article on how the VEP's year long registration drive and record Black turnout resulted in President-elect Jimmy Carter's victory in the South and several congressional candidates, with a post-election survey showing the Black turnout in 11 Southern states was 60 to 70 per cent and 95 per cent of the Black vote believed to have gone to Carter. 1 page.
Subject
Voter registration, Voting, Political participation
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Article on VEP head John Lewis reported that Black voters in 11 Southern states turned out at a rate of 60 to 70 per cent and provided the decisive margin of victory for President-elect Jimmy Carter and several congressional candidates, marking the most significant exercise of minority political power of the century. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Blacks Gave Carter Victory in South", November 8, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-08
Description
Article on VEP head John Lewis reported that Black voters in 11 Southern states turned out at a rate of 60 to 70 per cent and provided the decisive margin of victory for President-elect Jimmy Carter and several congressional candidates, marking the most significant exercise of minority political power of the century. 1 page.
Subject
African American civil rights workers, Voting, Political participation
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Press release stating that in the 1976 US Presidential election, the southern Black vote was a decisive and influential exercise of minority political power, providing President-elect Jimmy Carter with the margin of victory across the South, with the exception of Virginia, and electing numerous Black candidates to local and state offices. 4 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Black Voter Turnout for Jimmy Carter Presidential Race, November 7, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-07
Description
Press release stating that in the 1976 US Presidential election, the southern Black vote was a decisive and influential exercise of minority political power, providing President-elect Jimmy Carter with the margin of victory across the South, with the exception of Virginia, and electing numerous Black candidates to local and state offices. 4 pages.
Subject
Voting, Political participation, African Americans--Politics and government
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Black laborers and domestic workers in the Deep South saw Jimmy Carter as their only hope for change, citing his promises for social programs and job opportunities reminiscent of previous Democratic administrations, and ultimately giving him over 95% of their vote. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Blacks Grin Over How We Got a President", November 7, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-07
Description
Black laborers and domestic workers in the Deep South saw Jimmy Carter as their only hope for change, citing his promises for social programs and job opportunities reminiscent of previous Democratic administrations, and ultimately giving him over 95% of their vote. 1 page.
Subject
Voter registration, Voting, Political participation, African Americans--Social conditions
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Black voters played a decisive role in the victory of President-elect Jimmy Carter and other congressional candidates in the South, with a post-election survey showing a 60-70% Black turnout in 11 Southern states and 95% of the Black vote going to Carter, according to John Lewis, executive director of the Voter Education Project. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Blacks Gave Margin, Survey Says", November 7, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-07
Description
Black voters played a decisive role in the victory of President-elect Jimmy Carter and other congressional candidates in the South, with a post-election survey showing a 60-70% Black turnout in 11 Southern states and 95% of the Black vote going to Carter, according to John Lewis, executive director of the Voter Education Project. 1 page.
Subject
Voter registration, Voting, Political participation
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Article on how the Jimmy Carter administration is expected to appoint two Black Cabinet officers, with names including Andrew Young, Barbara Jordan, and Vernon Jordan, as Black political leaders seek to ensure that Blacks receive acceptable appointments and prioritize the passage of full employment legislation and postcard voter registration bill, with hopes for continued dialogues and moral leadership from Carter. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Which Blacks Will Emerge To Be in Carters Cabinet?", November 7, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-07
Description
Article on how the Jimmy Carter administration is expected to appoint two Black Cabinet officers, with names including Andrew Young, Barbara Jordan, and Vernon Jordan, as Black political leaders seek to ensure that Blacks receive acceptable appointments and prioritize the passage of full employment legislation and postcard voter registration bill, with hopes for continued dialogues and moral leadership from Carter. 1 page.
Subject
African Americans--Politics and government, Political participation, African American civic leaders
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Article on the head of the VEP John Lewis, reporting that the largest Black vote of the century, resulting from a year-long registration drive and record Black turnout, gave President-elect Jimmy Carter and several congressional candidates their margins of victory in the South. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Black Voters Helped Carter Carry Dixie", November 7, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-07
Description
Article on the head of the VEP John Lewis, reporting that the largest Black vote of the century, resulting from a year-long registration drive and record Black turnout, gave President-elect Jimmy Carter and several congressional candidates their margins of victory in the South. 1 page.
Subject
Voter registration, Voting, Political participation
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
In the deep South, workers share stories of how they deceived their white employers and voted for President Carter, reflecting a historic and influential turnout of the Black vote that was seen as a chance for change and job opportunities in heavily Black, rural communities along the Mississippi-Alabama borders. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Southern Black Vote for Carter Ascribed To Hope for Employment", November 7, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-07
Description
In the deep South, workers share stories of how they deceived their white employers and voted for President Carter, reflecting a historic and influential turnout of the Black vote that was seen as a chance for change and job opportunities in heavily Black, rural communities along the Mississippi-Alabama borders. 1 page.
Subject
Labor, Political participation, African Americans--Social conditions
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Press release from the Voter Education Project describing the impact of the Black vote in the 1976 presidential election. The report found that the Black vote was decisive in several states, including South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee. In these states, the Black vote helped to elect Jimmy Carter as president and other Black candidates to local and state offices. The report also found that the Black turnout rate was higher than ever before, with an estimated 60-70% of registered Black voters casting ballots. This was due in part to the efforts of the VEP and other organizations that worked to register and mobilize Black voters. 4 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
VEP Press Release, November 7, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-07
Description
Press release from the Voter Education Project describing the impact of the Black vote in the 1976 presidential election. The report found that the Black vote was decisive in several states, including South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee. In these states, the Black vote helped to elect Jimmy Carter as president and other Black candidates to local and state offices. The report also found that the Black turnout rate was higher than ever before, with an estimated 60-70% of registered Black voters casting ballots. This was due in part to the efforts of the VEP and other organizations that worked to register and mobilize Black voters. 4 pages.
Subject
African Americans--Georgia--Atlanta, African Americans--Civil rights, Voter registration, African Americans--Politics and government, Presidents
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
This article describes the influential role that Rep. Andrew Young and the "Black Atlanta Connection" played in securing Jimmy Carter's election as President of the United States, with prominent Georgians and other figures supporting Carter's campaign through their political power, personal integrity, and outreach efforts to African American communities. 2 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Atlanta Connection Did Well", November 6, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-06
Description
This article describes the influential role that Rep. Andrew Young and the "Black Atlanta Connection" played in securing Jimmy Carter's election as President of the United States, with prominent Georgians and other figures supporting Carter's campaign through their political power, personal integrity, and outreach efforts to African American communities. 2 pages.
Subject
Voter registration, Voting, Political participation, African American civic leaders, African American mayors
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Article on the election of Jimmy Carter to the presidency, with strong support from Black voters, was a surprise and represented a shift in the South's relationship with the rest of the nation, with many feeling a newfound sense of regional pride and an end to feelings of inferiority and exclusion. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Carters Ironic Win Delights Southerners", November 6, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-06
Description
Article on the election of Jimmy Carter to the presidency, with strong support from Black voters, was a surprise and represented a shift in the South's relationship with the rest of the nation, with many feeling a newfound sense of regional pride and an end to feelings of inferiority and exclusion. 1 page.
Subject
Voter registration, Voting, Political participation
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Article concerning that with the election of Jimmy Carter to the presidency, with strong support from Black voters in the South due to the civil rights movement and federal laws, signaled a new era of regional pride and equality, as well as a shift towards blue-collar and lower-income voters. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Carter Presidency From Deep South", November 6, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-06
Description
Article concerning that with the election of Jimmy Carter to the presidency, with strong support from Black voters in the South due to the civil rights movement and federal laws, signaled a new era of regional pride and equality, as well as a shift towards blue-collar and lower-income voters. 1 page.
Subject
Political participation, African Americans--Civil rights, African Americans--Social conditions
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Black voters, both rural and urban, played a decisive role in electing President Jimmy Carter in the 1976 U.S. presidential election, with preliminary studies showing that Carter received an overwhelming majority of Black votes, which contributed significantly to his victory in crucial states in the South and major Northern industrial areas. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Blacks Cast Decisive Votes in Carters Close Victory", November 5, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-05
Description
Black voters, both rural and urban, played a decisive role in electing President Jimmy Carter in the 1976 U.S. presidential election, with preliminary studies showing that Carter received an overwhelming majority of Black votes, which contributed significantly to his victory in crucial states in the South and major Northern industrial areas. 1 page.
Subject
Voter registration, Voting, Political participation
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Article about how Black voters, both in rural and urban areas, played a decisive role in Jimmy Carter's victory in the 1976 presidential election, as they voted for him by ratios of 9 to 1, and the concentrated Black vote gave Carter the lead in the overall popular vote, as well as contributed importantly to his strength in crucial states in the South and major Northern industrial areas. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Black Vote Put Carter Over, Studies Reveal", November 5, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-05
Description
Article about how Black voters, both in rural and urban areas, played a decisive role in Jimmy Carter's victory in the 1976 presidential election, as they voted for him by ratios of 9 to 1, and the concentrated Black vote gave Carter the lead in the overall popular vote, as well as contributed importantly to his strength in crucial states in the South and major Northern industrial areas. 1 page.
Subject
Voter registration, Voting, Political participation
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Article on Birmingham, Alabama's Mayor David Vann expressing his joy at the election of President-elect Jimmy Carter, attributing his victory to the end of regionalism and a change in attitude towards the South. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Carters Win is Important Day in Souths History, Vann Says", November 4, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-04
Description
Article on Birmingham, Alabama's Mayor David Vann expressing his joy at the election of President-elect Jimmy Carter, attributing his victory to the end of regionalism and a change in attitude towards the South. 1 page.
Subject
Voting, Political participation
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
This article reports on Birmingham Mayor David Vann's views on the election of Jimmy Carter as President and how it may help remove regional prejudice against the South, as well as his announcement of a special "Candidate's Workshop" and other local news. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Vann Predicts Carter Victory to Help South", November 4, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-04
Description
This article reports on Birmingham Mayor David Vann's views on the election of Jimmy Carter as President and how it may help remove regional prejudice against the South, as well as his announcement of a special "Candidate's Workshop" and other local news. 1 page.
Subject
Voter registration, Voting, Political participation
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Correspondence from John R. Lewis, then-Director of the Voter Education Project, addressed to President-Elect Jimmy Carter congratulating Carter on his 1976 victory in the 1976 Presidential Election. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Correspondence from John R. Lewis to President Elect Jimmy Carter, November 4, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-04
Description
Correspondence from John R. Lewis, then-Director of the Voter Education Project, addressed to President-Elect Jimmy Carter congratulating Carter on his 1976 victory in the 1976 Presidential Election. 1 page.
Subject
African Americans--Georgia--Atlanta, African Americans--Civil rights, Voter registration, African Americans--Politics and government, Presidents
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
This article discusses the upcoming 1976 US elections and the importance of Black voter turnout, as well as the number of Black candidates running for various positions, with the expectation that the 17 Black representatives in the House will retain their seats, but expanding that number seems unlikely. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Low Turnout May Dim Hope of Black Gain", November 3, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-03
Description
This article discusses the upcoming 1976 US elections and the importance of Black voter turnout, as well as the number of Black candidates running for various positions, with the expectation that the 17 Black representatives in the House will retain their seats, but expanding that number seems unlikely. 1 page.
Subject
Voter registration, Voting, Political participation
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
This article describes how the 1976 US presidential election was a test of widely held beliefs about the American electorate, including apathy, the death of political parties, the importance of independent voters, and the lack of interest among young people and Black voters. 2 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Old Style Election? Some Experts Believe Vote Today May Alter Ideas About Electorate", November 2, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-02
Description
This article describes how the 1976 US presidential election was a test of widely held beliefs about the American electorate, including apathy, the death of political parties, the importance of independent voters, and the lack of interest among young people and Black voters. 2 pages.
Subject
Voter registration, Voting, Political participation
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Flyer for President Jimmy Carter's Presidential Election Celebration, held by the 1976 Democratic Presidential Campaign Committee, Inc at the World Congress Center on November 2, 1976. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Jimmy Carter Election Celebration" Flyer, November 2, 1976
Date Created
1976-11-02
Description
Flyer for President Jimmy Carter's Presidential Election Celebration, held by the 1976 Democratic Presidential Campaign Committee, Inc at the World Congress Center on November 2, 1976. 1 page.
Subject
African Americans--Georgia--Atlanta, African Americans--Civil rights, Voter registration, African Americans--Politics and government, Presidents
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records