Happy Halloween, John!

This spooky season, our Network is casting a powerful spell for democracy. From coast to coast, partners are working hard to get out the vote, making sure that young people are informed, engaged, and ready to make their voices heard.

Also, if you’re looking for something new to sink your teeth into, don’t miss the latest Substacks from our Executive Director—offering sharp insights and reflections on leadership and the movement we’re building together.

Read on for a peek at the action.

Community Power in Action: Getting Out the Vote

Get Out the Vote work is never easy, but it’s always essential—especially in non-presidential years when the races may be smaller, but the stakes are just as high. Voting for local and state leaders influences the decisions that touch on our daily lives, from education and housing to safety and well-being. Across the Network, organizations are showing that getting out the vote can be powerful, creative, and deeply rooted in community. From registering first-time voters to hosting joyful events that bring people together, each group is finding unique ways to make civic engagement come alive this election season and make sure their neighbors are registered, informed, and ready to vote.

Asian Community Development Council (ACDC)
- The Asian Community Development Council has been on the ground across Nevada, tabling at community events and partnering with another Network member, One APIA Nevada, to reach new voters. Together, they’ve educated and registered more than 400 eligible high school students from Northwest CTA, Southwest CTA, and Foothill High School—ensuring that the next generation is ready to make its voice heard.
Engage Miami
- Engage Miami is making moves across Florida, joining fellow Alliance Affiliate Florida Student Power and other partners for canvassing and phonebanking in Orlando. They’re also preparing for Election Day in Miami with poll monitoring trainings and volunteer recruitment, a City of Miami Voter Guide, and hosting mayoral interviews guided by their Young People’s Priorities platform. They also recently cohosted a community run in Little Haiti.
Forward Montana
- Forward Montana is bringing creativity to the ballot box with events like Halloween Drag Bingo, Halloween Craft Night, and candidate forums in Billings, Bozeman, and Flathead. They’ve also released voter guides for Billings, Bozeman, and Missoula—making sure Montanans have the information they need to make informed choices this election season.
Georgia Youth Justice Coalition (GYJC)
- The Georgia Youth Justice Coalition continues to meet young people where they are—at their doors. With the help of volunteers and their dedicated canvassing crew, GYJC has already knocked on more than 10,000 doors this month and over 96,000 this year, turning conversations into lasting commitments to civic participation.
Loud Light
- In Kansas, Loud Light is meeting voters with enthusiasm and a side of community joy. They’ve coordinated and released candidate surveys for the Lawrence City Commission and Topeka Mayoral races, hosted a voter party in Lawrence, and offered free donuts and pizza to voters in Wichita and Olathe—making voting even more fun and beneficial!
The Washington Bus
- The Washington Bus is keeping the momentum strong in the Pacific Northwest by canvassing, phonebanking, and hosting a Seattle School Board Candidate Forum. Next up is their Youth Day of Action on November 2—a day for young people to meet candidates who care about their futures, build political power together, and stand up against harmful policies coming out of D.C.

From Nevada to Washington, these organizations are proving that civic participation isn’t just a duty—it’s a celebration of community power, creativity, and hope.

The Ground Game: Insights & Analysis

Each month, our Executive Director, Dakota Hall, breaks down the latest developments in policy, activism, and social movements with a series of blog posts offering critical analysis of the issues currently shaping our communities. Check out his pieces from October:

In Learning the Hard Way, Dakota gets real about the struggles of starting something from scratch—and how those lessons shaped the Youth Civic Accelerator, a bold new experiment to help young leaders scale power, not burnout. This year, the YCA is launching four youth-led organizations across key battleground states. As democracy faces real threats, YCA is proving what’s possible when we let organizers organize and set them up for success.