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.
9 Objects displayed
AllCollectionsObjects
  1. Browse Repository
  2. Archival Collections
  3. Voter Education Project Organizational Records
For:
  • Geographic Location = New York--New York
Newspaper book review of Abigail Themstrom's "Whose Votes Count: Affirmative Action and Minority Voting Rights", which examined the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and its impact on minority representation in government. Themstrom argued that the act had been distorted from its original intent and that the current focus on proportional representation was misguided. She believed that the act should be amended to focus on equality of opportunity, rather than equality of outcomes. 4 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Beginning with Voting", February 20, 1989
Date Created
1989-02-20
Description
Newspaper book review of Abigail Themstrom's "Whose Votes Count: Affirmative Action and Minority Voting Rights", which examined the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and its impact on minority representation in government. Themstrom argued that the act had been distorted from its original intent and that the current focus on proportional representation was misguided. She believed that the act should be amended to focus on equality of opportunity, rather than equality of outcomes. 4 pages.
Subject
African American civic leaders, African Americans--Civil rights, Voter registration, African Americans--Politics and government, Civil rights movements
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Newspaper article regarding the rapid increase of Black voter registration and turnout, fueled by a tour of Black leaders. The tour, which included the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Coretta Scott King, was credited with dampening apathy among Black voters. The leaders urged Blacks to register and vote, arguing that their votes could be decisive in key cities such as Cleveland, New York, and Chicago. While it was too early to say how the increased voter registration would translate into votes, the leaders were hopeful that Blacks will turn out in large numbers on Election Day. They believed that the Black vote could be the difference between victory and defeat for Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Blacks Are Pleased By Election Effort", October 31, 1976
Date Created
1976-10-31
Description
Newspaper article regarding the rapid increase of Black voter registration and turnout, fueled by a tour of Black leaders. The tour, which included the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Coretta Scott King, was credited with dampening apathy among Black voters. The leaders urged Blacks to register and vote, arguing that their votes could be decisive in key cities such as Cleveland, New York, and Chicago. While it was too early to say how the increased voter registration would translate into votes, the leaders were hopeful that Blacks will turn out in large numbers on Election Day. They believed that the Black vote could be the difference between victory and defeat for Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter. 1 page.
Subject
Political participation, African Americans--Civil rights, Voter registration, African Americans--Politics and government, Presidents
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Newspaper article regarding Jimmy Carter's, a Democratic candidate for President, calls for a voluntary moratorium on the purchase or sale of nuclear fuel enrichment and reprocessing plants. He believed that this would help to curb the spread of nuclear weapons. Carter took a number of other positions on the issues, including employment, inflation, monetary policy, tax reform, industry regulation, and energy. He generally tried to take positions that appealed to both sides of a controversy. Some people criticized Carter for not taking more bold positions on the issues. However, his supporters argued that he was simply trying to be pragmatic and to appeal to the widest possible range of voters. 2 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Carter Gives Plan For Nuclear Curb," May 13, 1976 NO RADAR INCOMPLETE
Date Created
1976-05-13
Description
Newspaper article regarding Jimmy Carter's, a Democratic candidate for President, calls for a voluntary moratorium on the purchase or sale of nuclear fuel enrichment and reprocessing plants. He believed that this would help to curb the spread of nuclear weapons. Carter took a number of other positions on the issues, including employment, inflation, monetary policy, tax reform, industry regulation, and energy. He generally tried to take positions that appealed to both sides of a controversy. Some people criticized Carter for not taking more bold positions on the issues. However, his supporters argued that he was simply trying to be pragmatic and to appeal to the widest possible range of voters. 2 pages.
Subject
International relations, Political campaigns, Presidents, Human rights
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Booklet of Jimmy Carter's 1976 Presidential campaign materials, including statements of support, a public address from Carter, and articles about the campaign, prepared for the Democratic Convention. In his public address, Carter argued that while much progress had been done already, there was still much work to be done to achieve an end to poverty, discrimination, and corruption, and to create an honest government, compassionate, and responsive to the needs of the people. 20 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Jimmy Carter Democratic National Convention" Booklet, 1976
Date Created
1976
Description
Booklet of Jimmy Carter's 1976 Presidential campaign materials, including statements of support, a public address from Carter, and articles about the campaign, prepared for the Democratic Convention. In his public address, Carter argued that while much progress had been done already, there was still much work to be done to achieve an end to poverty, discrimination, and corruption, and to create an honest government, compassionate, and responsive to the needs of the people. 20 pages.
Subject
Political campaigns, Political participation, African Americans--Civil rights, Voter registration, African Americans--Politics and government
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Table representing the 1976 Presidential Election results and estimated voter participation in the Southern States, including information regarding total votes cast estimated Black registration, and estimated Black voter turnout. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Table of 1976 Presidential Election Results Estimated Voter Participation, 1976
Date Created
1976
Description
Table representing the 1976 Presidential Election results and estimated voter participation in the Southern States, including information regarding total votes cast estimated Black registration, and estimated Black voter turnout. 1 page.
Subject
Political participation, African Americans--Civil rights, Voter registration, African Americans--Politics and government, Presidents
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Magazine article regarding the challenges faced by Black officeholders in the South after the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Despite being elected, Black officials often faced resistance from white officials and members of the black community. The article also discusses the efforts of the Voter Education Project to provide training and support to Black officeholders. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"The Other Half of the Battle", January 10, 1969
Date Created
1969-01-10
Description
Magazine article regarding the challenges faced by Black officeholders in the South after the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Despite being elected, Black officials often faced resistance from white officials and members of the black community. The article also discusses the efforts of the Voter Education Project to provide training and support to Black officeholders. 1 page.
Subject
African American civic leaders, African Americans--Civil rights, Voter registration, African Americans--Politics and government, Civil rights movements
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Brochure from National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) New York chapter highlighting Black people who died for the right vote. 3 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Ballots, Bullet, and Blood: How Blacks Have Died for the Right to Vote", circa 1970
Date Created
1968/1972
Description
Brochure from National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) New York chapter highlighting Black people who died for the right vote. 3 pages.
Subject
African Americans--Civil rights, African American civil rights workers, African American leadership, Political posters, Voter registration
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Report written by Lucy S. Dawidowicz regarding the implications of the 1966 midterm elections. The 1966 midterm elections were a mixed bag for both parties. The Republicans made significant gains, but the Democrats still retained control of both houses of Congress. The results of the election were interpreted in many different ways, with some seeing it as a victory for the right, others as a repudiation of President Johnson's Vietnam policy, and still others as a sign of dissatisfaction with the liberal consensus. Overall, Dawidowicz suggests in her analysis that the 1966 midterm elections resulted in a more conservative composition of Congress, which liberals feared would slow down the legislative pace. However, the deceleration of Congress's legislative pace had already begun before the election, as the nation's mood favored a halt in passing new laws. The backlash haunted the election, but it was largely mitigated by the two-party system, which forced both parties to integrate many clusters of voter interests and issues. 28 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"The 1966 Elections: A Political Patchwork" by Lucy S. Dawidowicz, April 1967
Date Created
1967-04
Author
Lucy S. Dawidowicz
Description
Report written by Lucy S. Dawidowicz regarding the implications of the 1966 midterm elections. The 1966 midterm elections were a mixed bag for both parties. The Republicans made significant gains, but the Democrats still retained control of both houses of Congress. The results of the election were interpreted in many different ways, with some seeing it as a victory for the right, others as a repudiation of President Johnson's Vietnam policy, and still others as a sign of dissatisfaction with the liberal consensus. Overall, Dawidowicz suggests in her analysis that the 1966 midterm elections resulted in a more conservative composition of Congress, which liberals feared would slow down the legislative pace. However, the deceleration of Congress's legislative pace had already begun before the election, as the nation's mood favored a halt in passing new laws. The backlash haunted the election, but it was largely mitigated by the two-party system, which forced both parties to integrate many clusters of voter interests and issues. 28 pages.
Subject
Political participation, African Americans--Civil rights, Voter registration, African Americans--Politics and government
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Magazine article discussing how the 1966 midterm elections were a major victory for the Republican Party, which gained 47 seats in the House of Representatives, three seats in the Senate, and eight governorships. The GOP's success was attributed to a number of factors, including discontent with the Johnson administration's handling of the Vietnam War, inflation, and the backlash against civil rights legislation. The election results also set the stage for the 1968 presidential election, in which the Republicans were expected to be a strong contender. 14 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"GOP '66: Back on the Map", November 21, 1966
Date Created
1966-11-21
Description
Magazine article discussing how the 1966 midterm elections were a major victory for the Republican Party, which gained 47 seats in the House of Representatives, three seats in the Senate, and eight governorships. The GOP's success was attributed to a number of factors, including discontent with the Johnson administration's handling of the Vietnam War, inflation, and the backlash against civil rights legislation. The election results also set the stage for the 1968 presidential election, in which the Republicans were expected to be a strong contender. 14 pages.
Subject
Political science, Political campaigns, Voter registration
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records