During the Trump presidency, Malka Key and Joanna Krause-Johnson were looking for ways to get involved in local activism. In their search, they found Let People Vote Twin Cities.
The group is a local offshoot of the national People Power campaign, started by the ACLU in 2017 to create new voting-rights focused grassroots groups across the country.
"I think the word 'grassroots' is really important," said Krause-Johnson, "because we are not lawyers, but we are very committed to getting people involved in the voting process so that they can elect people that represent their values."
Let People Vote Twin Cities has worked to share voting rights information throughout the Metro region. Last year, they set up informational tables at Open Streets, the Midtown Farmers Market, grocery stores, and more. They also interviewed Secretary of State Steve Simon on local radio stations, and distributed fliers about voting pre-registration.
Learn more about Let People Vote Twin Cities and ways to get involved on their Facebook page
Let People Vote Twin Cities is a small but mighty group. About 10 members have accomplished all of these feats and also attend bi-weekly meetings. Key explains that the size ensures that everyone is able to voice their ideas and affect the work that the group does.
"We never want someone to say, 'Oh, this is only my second meeting, I don't want to make a suggestion,'" said Key. "We are really open to suggestions and supporting ideas that people come in with."
"There are many ways to contribute," added Krause-Johnson. "Graphic design, going to community meetings and networking with other groups, tabling, setting up, getting things printed, brainstorming ways to best disseminate information, and more."
As the November General Election rapidly approaches, Key, Krause-Johnson and the other members of Let People Vote Twin Cities are planning their work for the year.
They likely will set up informational tables at more events, hand out fliers, and may even do a postcard campaign. Whatever form their advocacy takes this year, Key and Krause-Johnson know that they will be working to educate community members about their voting rights.