Executive Director , Georgia Coalition for the People ’ s Agenda
Women Organizers continued from page 3
Helen Butler
Executive Director , Georgia Coalition for the People ’ s Agenda
What they do :
Founded in 1998 , the Georgia Coalition for the People ’ s Agenda ( GCPA ) aims to improve governance through civic participation , using voter registration , education campaigns , and more .
How they shaped the election in Georgia :
Like other groups in the state , GCPA works on voter registration , and has registered more than 50,000 people to vote over the last few years , Butler said . But one thing that ’ s unique about GCPA is its weekly Tuesday afternoon meetings , open to the public , where attendees talk about strategy and important issues in their communities .
This year , many of those meetings took the form of Zoom candidate forums , where Georgians — anywhere from 50 to 100 each week — could ask questions of people running for state and local office . “ We don ’ t tell people who to vote for or anything like that , but we bring these people before them so that they can make informed decisions ,” Butler said .
The group has also been involved in challenging voter suppression tactics in Georgia , filing suit in 2018 to challenge a restrictive voter registration policy in the state that many said disproportionately impacted voters of color .
Georgia ultimately rolled back the policy , but fighting such efforts takes up a lot of organizers ’ time and energy , Butler said . “ You take away your resources , whereas I could be doing something else .”
Their lessons for 2021 and beyond :
Groups like GCPA help drive turnout in Georgia because they connect elections to people ’ s daily lives . Voters might see commercials slamming Trump , for example , but they don ’ t explain how Democrats are going to fix problems that matter to them . A winning campaign is “ not about an individual , it ’ s about your everyday life and how that public policy will drive what you do in life ,” Butler said .
And the lesson for everyone from Georgia ’ s showing this year is that “ we have to meet people where they are ,” Butler said . “ We can ’ t always meet them through the airwaves ; we have to sometimes touch , we have to feel .” The bottom line : “ Just show an interest in the people ,” Butler said . “ The people is what makes the United States .”
6 Black WomenOrganizers What Happen in Georgia and What comes next Politics , Elections , Campaigns Stacey Abrams Amber Bell Helen Butler LaTosha Brown November 2020
Program Success 28 November 2020