The Proof of the Pudding

Houston Faith Votes pilot cohort sees progress

Twenty-three leaders in the Houston Faith Votes Pilot cohort met this week for an exciting “sneak peak” at the results of their Get Out the Vote (GOTV) work for the recent election!

Some background:

16 congregations from across Houston comprise the HFV Pilot Cohort for Civic Engagement. This diverse group of Unitarian, Christian, and Jewish congregations mobilized voters in over 40 precincts in November. And what’s more…they tracked and documented their work. That means, using the data platforms provided by Texas Impact, they are able to see the direct impact of their work and tailor future GOTV activities to those that make the most impact in voter turnout.

Here’s a snapshot of their amazing work!

• The number of potential voters contacted by HFV cohort congregations - 111,554

• Percentage of people who attended an Issue Forum at a HFV church and voted - 68.5%

• Number of GOTV service hours by volunteers and church staff of HFV cohort congregations - 6,683

They also learned about the action around elections in Austin with over 150 bills currently filed that could impact voting in various ways. We are keeping an eye on the on-going efforts to make voting more difficult and more restrictive in Texas. Cohort members are currently meeting with their state reps and senators to establish a working relationship around voting, election, and other vital issues being discussed in the legislature. They are illustrating and emphasizing to state officials that there is a large, devoted network of people of faith who care deeply about voting rights and will advocate for elections that are accessible to all.

To all congregations in Houston (and everywhere in Texas!):

Texas Impact has resources and support for you to engage your members in advocacy around voting! Visit TXI’s Voter Engagement Hub and reach out to rebecca@texasimpact.org for more ideas about engaging voters and safeguarding elections in Texas.