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.
11 Objects displayed
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  2. Archival Collections
  3. Voter Education Project Organizational Records
For:
  • Decade = 1980-1989
  • Subjects = Groups and organizations
During 1984, the National Coalition sponsored OPERATION BIG VOTE coalitions in 25 states and the District of Columbia, resulting in the highest ever reported Black voter registration at 66.3 percent, an increase in turnout to 56 percent, and the net gain of 2.5 million voters, with plans to continue nationwide operations in the future. 6 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Operation Big Vote Newsletter, February 27, 1985
Date Created
1985-02-27
Description
During 1984, the National Coalition sponsored OPERATION BIG VOTE coalitions in 25 states and the District of Columbia, resulting in the highest ever reported Black voter registration at 66.3 percent, an increase in turnout to 56 percent, and the net gain of 2.5 million voters, with plans to continue nationwide operations in the future. 6 pages.
Subject
African Americans--Civil rights, Voter registration, Voting, Groups and organizations
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
A Voter Education Project study based on an analysis of predominantly Black and White precincts in Georgia found that the estimated number of Black voters in the 1984 election was over 50% higher than in 1980, with a turnout rate of 64%, and that White turnout was higher than Black turnout, with 74% of registered White voters casting their votes for Reagan and 5% of Black voters doing the same. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Georgia Black Turnout Over 50 Percent High in 1984 Than in 1980", December 30, 1984
Date Created
1984-12-30
Description
A Voter Education Project study based on an analysis of predominantly Black and White precincts in Georgia found that the estimated number of Black voters in the 1984 election was over 50% higher than in 1980, with a turnout rate of 64%, and that White turnout was higher than Black turnout, with 74% of registered White voters casting their votes for Reagan and 5% of Black voters doing the same. 1 page.
Subject
Groups and organizations, Political participation, Voting
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
The Voter Education Project found that in the 1984 presidential election, Black voter turnout exceeded 60% in Georgia and Alabama, with Alabama being the only southern state where Black voter turnout was not less than White voter turnout, and while President Reagan won both states, he only won 5% of the Black vote in Georgia and 7% of the Black vote in Alabama. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Blacks Turn Out in Alabama", and "More Georgia Blacks Voted in '84 than '80", December 30, 1984
Date Created
1984-12-30
Description
The Voter Education Project found that in the 1984 presidential election, Black voter turnout exceeded 60% in Georgia and Alabama, with Alabama being the only southern state where Black voter turnout was not less than White voter turnout, and while President Reagan won both states, he only won 5% of the Black vote in Georgia and 7% of the Black vote in Alabama. 1 page.
Subject
Groups and organizations, Political participation, Voting
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
The results of a Voter Education Project study show that an estimated 3.3 million Black voters went to the polls in the South during the 1984 election, representing an increase of 586,000 over the previous election, with the increase due to both population growth and registration drives, and the vast majority of Black voters supported Walter Mondale. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Record Number of Blacks Voted in the South", November 24, 1984
Date Created
1984-11-24
Description
The results of a Voter Education Project study show that an estimated 3.3 million Black voters went to the polls in the South during the 1984 election, representing an increase of 586,000 over the previous election, with the increase due to both population growth and registration drives, and the vast majority of Black voters supported Walter Mondale. 1 page.
Subject
Groups and organizations, Political participation, Voting
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
A Voter Education Project survey reported record numbers of Black voters registered in Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee, with a 16 percent increase in Georgia since 1980, but despite this increase, there are still about 500,000 unregistered Black voters in Georgia, according to Charles McCant, the assistant director of field operations for the Atlanta-based VEP. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"State Drive Hikes Black Voters 16 Percent", November 13, 1984
Date Created
1984-11-13
Description
A Voter Education Project survey reported record numbers of Black voters registered in Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee, with a 16 percent increase in Georgia since 1980, but despite this increase, there are still about 500,000 unregistered Black voters in Georgia, according to Charles McCant, the assistant director of field operations for the Atlanta-based VEP. 1 page.
Subject
Groups and organizations, Voter registration, African American civil rights workers, African Americans--Civil rights
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
The National Right to Work Committee is reportedly spending $100,000 this year to place approximately 100 private investigators, including many from Miller and Associates, in union political operations, voter registration organizations, and other groups, in an attempt to identify alleged violations of federal election law and misuse of funds by unions, the Mondale-Ferraro campaign, and tax-exempt organizations. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Investigators Infiltrate Union Political Groups", October 19, 1984
Date Created
1984-10-19
Description
The National Right to Work Committee is reportedly spending $100,000 this year to place approximately 100 private investigators, including many from Miller and Associates, in union political operations, voter registration organizations, and other groups, in an attempt to identify alleged violations of federal election law and misuse of funds by unions, the Mondale-Ferraro campaign, and tax-exempt organizations. 1 page.
Subject
Groups and organizations, Labor, Voter registration
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
The League of Women Voters of Georgia, a nonpartisan organization providing election information through its voter service program presents this guide to candidates and Constitutional Amendments for the November 6, 1984 General Election. 4 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Candidates and Constitutional Amendments", October 1984
Date Created
1984-10
Description
The League of Women Voters of Georgia, a nonpartisan organization providing election information through its voter service program presents this guide to candidates and Constitutional Amendments for the November 6, 1984 General Election. 4 pages.
Subject
Voter registration, Voting, Suffrage, Groups and organizations
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Jesse Jackson urged Black students at Albany State College to join his "Rainbow Coalition" and register to vote in the 1984 presidential election, and also spoke to a convention of Black Baptists about the need for economic common ground and the restoration of moral tone in America, while expanding the Democratic Party and criticizing Congress for its refusal to pass a new Equal Rights Amendment and the recent deployment of U.S. cruise missiles in Europe and occupation of Grenada. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Students Answer Jackson's Plea by Registering", November 17, 1983
Date Created
1983-11-17
Description
Jesse Jackson urged Black students at Albany State College to join his "Rainbow Coalition" and register to vote in the 1984 presidential election, and also spoke to a convention of Black Baptists about the need for economic common ground and the restoration of moral tone in America, while expanding the Democratic Party and criticizing Congress for its refusal to pass a new Equal Rights Amendment and the recent deployment of U.S. cruise missiles in Europe and occupation of Grenada. 1 page.
Subject
Groups and organizations, African Americans--Civil rights, Political campaigns, Political participation, Voter registration
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
Article on how the VEP has helped register four million Black voters and increase the number of Black elected officials in the South from 72 in 1965 to early 3,000 in recent times, with most of the VEP's budget coming from foundations, grants are made to local groups ranging from $150 to $2,000, and the organization still encounters voter intimidation in some areas. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Voting Project Fills Rolls 21 years", October 23, 1983
Date Created
1983-10-23
Description
Article on how the VEP has helped register four million Black voters and increase the number of Black elected officials in the South from 72 in 1965 to early 3,000 in recent times, with most of the VEP's budget coming from foundations, grants are made to local groups ranging from $150 to $2,000, and the organization still encounters voter intimidation in some areas. 1 page.
Subject
Groups and organizations, Voter registration, Race discrimination
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Voter drive by NAACP set here", "Political coalition gearing up for Black voter registration drive", "Take the British system of political races, please", June 15, 1983 news clippings, and "Despite differences, Jews and Blacks still allies". 4 pages.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Voter Drive by NAACP Set Here", June 15, 1983
Date Created
1983-06-15
Description
"Voter drive by NAACP set here", "Political coalition gearing up for Black voter registration drive", "Take the British system of political races, please", June 15, 1983 news clippings, and "Despite differences, Jews and Blacks still allies". 4 pages.
Subject
Groups and organizations, African Americans--Civil rights, Political campaigns, Political participation, Voter registration
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
This article questions the level of commitment of Reverend Jesse Jackson and his organization, PUSH, to building a permanent, strong Black organization in South Carolina and achieving voting rights for Black people, citing the lack of action and follow-through on promises made by Jackson and his organization. 1 page.
Voter Education Project Organizational Records
"Is Jesse Jackson Serious About South Carolina, or Is It a Convention Hype?" by Jesse Taylor, circa 1980
Date Created
1977/1983
Description
This article questions the level of commitment of Reverend Jesse Jackson and his organization, PUSH, to building a permanent, strong Black organization in South Carolina and achieving voting rights for Black people, citing the lack of action and follow-through on promises made by Jackson and his organization. 1 page.
Subject
African Americans--Politics and government, African Americans--Civil rights, Groups and organizations, Political participation
Collection
Voter Education Project Organizational Records