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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Article on the large percentage of Black voters in the South, especially Georgia, and how voter education and registration drives will target the state to make the most out of the minority vote. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Georgia Called Target for Black Registration Drive", circa 1982
Date Created
1981/1983
Description
Article on the large percentage of Black voters in the South, especially Georgia, and how voter education and registration drives will target the state to make the most out of the minority vote. 1 page.
Subject
Voter registration, Voting, Political participation, African Americans--Civil rights
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Press release on a study of the 1981 Atlanta Municipal elections by the Voter Education Project shows that Blacks alone provided enough votes to elect Andrew Young on October 27. Blacks won all four municipal elections in majority Black constituencies, and whites cast an even higher percentage of their votes for white candidates. 2 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Black Votes for Andrew Young", November 4, 1981
Date Created
1981-11-04
Description
Press release on a study of the 1981 Atlanta Municipal elections by the Voter Education Project shows that Blacks alone provided enough votes to elect Andrew Young on October 27. Blacks won all four municipal elections in majority Black constituencies, and whites cast an even higher percentage of their votes for white candidates. 2 pages.
Subject
African Americans--Politics and government, African Americans--Civil rights, Voting, Political science
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Press release on how the VEP found that in the October 6, 1981 City of Atlanta municipal elections, four white candidates won in majority Black districts and all three elections in majority white districts, while Black mayoral candidates received 57% of the total vote and the highest percentage (58%) of registered voters cast ballots in the mayoral election. 2 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"White Candidates Winning Elections in Majority Black Districts", October 23, 1981
Date Created
1981-10-23
Description
Press release on how the VEP found that in the October 6, 1981 City of Atlanta municipal elections, four white candidates won in majority Black districts and all three elections in majority white districts, while Black mayoral candidates received 57% of the total vote and the highest percentage (58%) of registered voters cast ballots in the mayoral election. 2 pages.
Subject
African Americans--Politics and government, African Americans--Civil rights, Voting, Political science
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Testimony of Geraldine G. Thompson before the subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights of the House Judiciary Committee.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Testimony of Geraldine G. Thompson," June 23, 1981
Date Created
1981-06-23
Description
Testimony of Geraldine G. Thompson before the subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights of the House Judiciary Committee.
Subject
African American civic leaders, African American women, African Americans--Politics and government, Voting
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
VEP report on how historically, Blacks and other minorities have faced barriers in their attempts to participate effectively in the electoral process, including voter registration, voting, and candidacy, due to lack of interest and affirmative attempts by officials, inconvenient registration practices, inadequate information, physical and economic intimidation, discriminatory regulations and enforcement, and other forms of intimidation. 10 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Barriers to Effective Participation in Electoral Politics" by Richard A. Hudlin and K. Farouk Brimah, March 1
Date Created
1981-03
Description
VEP report on how historically, Blacks and other minorities have faced barriers in their attempts to participate effectively in the electoral process, including voter registration, voting, and candidacy, due to lack of interest and affirmative attempts by officials, inconvenient registration practices, inadequate information, physical and economic intimidation, discriminatory regulations and enforcement, and other forms of intimidation. 10 pages.
Subject
African Americans--Civil rights, Voter registration, Voting, Race discrimination
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Notes, program and information dealing with coalition building and voting rights.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Presentation on Coalition Building" Notes and Program, 1981
Date Created
1981
Description
Notes, program and information dealing with coalition building and voting rights.
Subject
Voting, African Americans--Politics and government
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
This report discusses the historical barriers faced by Blacks and other minorities in their attempts to participate effectively in electoral processes, including registration, voting, candidacy, physical and economic intimidation, fair and effective representation, and the impact of the Voting Rights Act. It outlines specific obstacles within each of these areas, including a lack of interest or affirmative action by officials to encourage minority participation, inconvenient locations or times for registration and voting, inadequate minority personnel, insufficient information about policies and procedures, restrictions on third party or independent candidates, and physical and economic intimidation. 10 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Barriers to Effective Participation in Electoral Politics", VEP Report, 1981
Date Created
1981
Description
This report discusses the historical barriers faced by Blacks and other minorities in their attempts to participate effectively in electoral processes, including registration, voting, candidacy, physical and economic intimidation, fair and effective representation, and the impact of the Voting Rights Act. It outlines specific obstacles within each of these areas, including a lack of interest or affirmative action by officials to encourage minority participation, inconvenient locations or times for registration and voting, inadequate minority personnel, insufficient information about policies and procedures, restrictions on third party or independent candidates, and physical and economic intimidation. 10 pages.
Subject
Voter registration, Voting, Political participation, Race discrimination, African Americans--Civil rights
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
This text describes political participation and representation of African Americans in the southern region of the United States in the 1980s, including data on voter registration and turnout, voting preferences, and the number of Black elected officials at various levels of government. 32 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"What Happened in the South", 1980, VEP Report, 1981
Date Created
1981
Description
This text describes political participation and representation of African Americans in the southern region of the United States in the 1980s, including data on voter registration and turnout, voting preferences, and the number of Black elected officials at various levels of government. 32 pages.
Subject
Voting, Political participation, African Americans--Politics and government
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
A group of people wait in line to register and vote.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Register and Vote, circa 1985
Date Created
1980/1989
Description
A group of people wait in line to register and vote.
Subject
Voting, Voter registration, African Americans--Politics and government
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Flyer inviting people to hear John Lewis speak at voter rally. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Hear John Lewis VEP Executive Director Voter Rally", circa 1983
Date Created
1980/1986
Description
Flyer inviting people to hear John Lewis speak at voter rally. 1 page.
Subject
African Americans--Civil rights, Political posters, Voter registration, Voting
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Flyer advertising a voter registration rally to learn the importance of voting. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Hands That Pick Cotton Now Can Pick Our Public Officials", 1983
Date Created
1980/1986
Description
Flyer advertising a voter registration rally to learn the importance of voting. 1 page.
Subject
African Americans--Civil rights, Political posters, Voter registration, Voting
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
VEP flyer emphasizing the importance of voting. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Don't Crush Your Chances for Change", circa 1983
Date Created
1980/1986
Description
VEP flyer emphasizing the importance of voting. 1 page.
Subject
African Americans--Civil rights, Political posters, Voter registration, Voting
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
A study conducted by the Voter Education Project revealed that 95 percent of Black registered voters in the South who turned out for the November 4th election voted for Jimmy Carter, with percentages ranging from 92 percent to 97 percent, while President-elect Reagan was estimated to have won only 2 to 6 percent of the total Black votes cast. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"95 Percent of Black Registered Voters Voted for Jimmy Carter", December 12, 1980
Date Created
1980-12-12
Description
A study conducted by the Voter Education Project revealed that 95 percent of Black registered voters in the South who turned out for the November 4th election voted for Jimmy Carter, with percentages ranging from 92 percent to 97 percent, while President-elect Reagan was estimated to have won only 2 to 6 percent of the total Black votes cast. 1 page.
Subject
Voting, Political participation, African Americans--Politics and government
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Press release on how 95% of Black registered voters in the South who turned out in the 1980 presidential election voted for Jimmy Carter, with a range of 92-97% in different states. Ronald Reagan won only 82,000 Black votes, ranging from 2-6% of the total Black vote. The study found that socioeconomic differences among Southern Blacks did not significantly affect their voting behavior. 2 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Black Voter Participation in 1980 Presidential Election", December 12, 1980
Date Created
1980-12-12
Description
Press release on how 95% of Black registered voters in the South who turned out in the 1980 presidential election voted for Jimmy Carter, with a range of 92-97% in different states. Ronald Reagan won only 82,000 Black votes, ranging from 2-6% of the total Black vote. The study found that socioeconomic differences among Southern Blacks did not significantly affect their voting behavior. 2 pages.
Subject
African Americans--Politics and government, African Americans--Civil rights, Voting, Political science
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Black voter participation by state. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Black Voter Participation, November 4, 1980
Date Created
1980-11-04
Description
Black voter participation by state. 1 page.
Subject
Voting, Political participation, African Americans--Politics and government
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
List, notes, and flowchart of VEP research projects for 1980-1981. 3 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Major VEP Research Projects, 1980
Date Created
1980
Description
List, notes, and flowchart of VEP research projects for 1980-1981. 3 pages.
Subject
Voting, Political participation, African Americans--Politics and government, African Americans--Civil rights
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Number of registered voters by years, spreadsheet with county names and years, 1960-1980. 2 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Number of Registered Voters by Years, 1980
Date Created
1980
Description
Number of registered voters by years, spreadsheet with county names and years, 1960-1980. 2 pages.
Subject
Voting, Political participation, African Americans--Politics and government
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
A study by the Voter Education Project found that Southern Blacks overwhelmingly voted for President Carter in the 1980 presidential election, with 92-97% of Black voters in 11 Southern states supporting him, although 2-6% of Black voters who supported Ronald Reagan were enough to provide the winning margin in two Southern states. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Blacks in the South Voted 9 to 1 for Carter", 1980
Date Created
1980
Description
A study by the Voter Education Project found that Southern Blacks overwhelmingly voted for President Carter in the 1980 presidential election, with 92-97% of Black voters in 11 Southern states supporting him, although 2-6% of Black voters who supported Ronald Reagan were enough to provide the winning margin in two Southern states. 1 page.
Subject
Voting, Political participation, African Americans--Politics and government
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Chart of voting age estimates (in thousands) for eleven southern states for selected years from 1960-1980. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Voting Age Estimates for Eleven Southern States, 1980
Date Created
1980
Description
Chart of voting age estimates (in thousands) for eleven southern states for selected years from 1960-1980. 1 page.
Subject
Voting, Political participation, African Americans--Politics and government
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Estimates of Black participation in the November 1980 presidential election for eleven Southern states. 2 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Southern States Black Voter Estimate Chart, 1980
Date Created
1980
Description
Estimates of Black participation in the November 1980 presidential election for eleven Southern states. 2 pages.
Subject
Voting, Political participation, African Americans--Politics and government
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records