News + Announcements
Teen Vogue: “New Voters: Here's Everything You Need To Know”
September 17, 2024
“This year, more than four million teens will be able to vote for the first time. Yet for many, the whole process is a mystery. How and where can they register? How will they understand what they’re voting on? Where are they going to cast their ballot? These are some of the questions tbh producer Charlotte King answers in this story.” Read here.
KALW Public Media / tbh Podcast: “New Voters: Here's Everything You Need To Know”
September 16, 2024
“Voting should not be scary. It should be easy. It should be as easy as possible. And what we hear is people are confused. They feel they don't know enough. - Maxim Thorne” Read and listen here.
The Tulane Hullabaloo: “My nonpartisan content creator journey: Engaging voters at DNC”
September 11, 2024
“For the first time, a national political convention provided special credentials to social media content creators, with 200 attending the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this August. I had the privilege of being one of them.” Read here.
NJ.com: “Students attend Democratic Convention”
September 11, 2024
“NJCU students Iris Gonzales and Samantha Jaipersuad were among 15 students nationwide who were selected to report live from the 2024 Democratic National Convention through the Civic Influencers program.” Read here (Subscriber Access Only)
Guilford College: “August Hutchins '26 was inspired by attending the DNC. Now he wants to inspire his Guilford classmates.”
August 26, 2024
“More than 200 social media content creators were invited to last week’s convention and granted media access. August was one of 15 content creators working for Civic Influencers, a nonpartisan group whose mission is to engage and encourage students to register and vote.” Read here.
New Jersey City University: “Two NJCU Students Leaders Chosen to Attend 2024 Democratic National Convention”
August 22, 2024
“Two student leaders at New Jersey City University (NJCU) — Iris Gonzales and Samantha Jaipersuad — are experiencing politics on the national stage this week with the unique opportunity to attend the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. Gonzales and Jaipersuad were among 15 students nationwide who were selected to report live about the event through the Civic Influencers program.” Read here.
The Columbia Chronicle: “Young voters in Chicago for DNC have mixed emotions about choices in 2024 presidential election”
August 21, 2024
“As the Democratic National Convention in Chicago continued into its third day, young voters in the city reflected on the challenges the presidential campaigns face in winning this critical segment of the electorate.” Read here.
MEDIA ADVISORY: 15 Young Voting Rights Civic Influencers, from swing states and districts and Tipping Point Campuses, are Traveling to Chicago to Report Live from the Democratic National Convention on First Ever Content Creator Credentials
August 14, 2024
15 young Civic Influencers will report live from the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) as members of the DNC’s first ever cohort of content creators. These young people, and a content expert on barriers to youth voting (including generational gerrymandering), will be made available for interviews during and after their time in Chicago, either in-person at the convention or remote via phone or Zoom. Read the media advisory here.
AMENDED COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF
December 19, 2023
Plaintiffs Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, Ohio Federation of Teachers, Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans, Union Veterans Council, and Civic Influencers, Inc. filed this amended complaint against Defendant Frank LaRose, in his official capacity as the Ohio Secretary of State. This suit challenges certain provisions (the “Challenged Provisions”) of Ohio Substitute House Bill 458 (“HB 458”), an omnibus election-administration law that imposes needless and discriminatory burdens on Ohioans’ fundamental right to vote. Read the Full Suit Here.
The Ralph Nader Radio Hour
July 15, 2023
Civic Influencers CEO Maxim Thorne sat down for an interview with Ralph Nader: two-time presidential candidate; legendary activist, consumer advocate, and public speaker; and host of the Ralph Nader Radio Hour.
In an energizing and nuanced exchange, the two talked about the rising power of Gen Z, the dire state of our democracy, and the critical importance of mobilizing young voters (among many other topics). Listen here.
Civic Influencers’ Briefing on Turbocharging Young Voters
May 9, 2023
We want to extend our sincerest thanks for attending the Civic Influencers’ briefing on turbocharging young voters through 2024. A special thank you to our wonderful hosts: Leslie Bhutani, Michele Cuttler, Ann Daniel, Deborah David, Jill Finsten, Martha Gabbert, Beryl Kreisel, Dorothy Largay, Hon. Susan Rose, Nancy Sheldon, and Merryl Zegar. Many thanks to Robert Hubbell for his continued support, and for helping spread the word about the briefing. Watch here.
Cleveland.com: “Young Voters Will Change Ohio, Despite ‘GenerationalGerrymandering’ of HB 458”
May 7, 2023
Earlier this year, Ohio passed one of the most restrictive voter-ID laws in the country. As of April 7, student IDs will no longer be accepted, essentially forcing thousands of young people who don’t already have a government-issued ID to get one.
As our CEO, Maxim Thorne, wrote in an Op-Ed for Cleveland.com over the weekend, this law is a textbook example of “generational gerrymandering”—a blatant attempt to silence the voices of young voters by making it more difficult for them to cast their ballots. Read here.
The Trump Indictment: “What It Means for Youth Organizing and Democracy” Town Hall
March 22, 2023
On March 22, 2023, we held a Town Hall to discuss the looming Trump indictment–and what it means for youth organizing and democracy. We were joined by our esteemed Board Member, Bruce Spiva, and our Statewide Organizer, Anna, both of whom provided some wonderful insights.
Make no mistake: This is a watershed event in American history. But we can’t lose sight of the bigger picture. We have a huge opportunity to further galvanize the youth vote for 2023 and 2024—particularly on the “tipping-point campuses” where we’re working to recruit, train, and deploy our Civic Influencers. Watch here.
The Washington Post: “Opinion: Republicans will stop at nothing to silence young voters”
April 16, 2023
Our CEO, Maxim Thorne, was so incensed by this bombshell exposé in The Washington Post—about the right’s overt effort to make it more difficult (and in some cases damn-near impossible) for young people to vote—that he sat down and wrote a letter to the editor, which was published yesterday. Read here.
Civic Influencers 2023 Town Hall
March 8, 2023
We hosted our Civic Influencers 2023 Town Hall to celebrate International Women’s Day! Watch here.
Truthout: “Opinion: Republicans will stop at nothing to silence young voters”
February 27, 2023
*Huge* thanks to Truthout for shining a spotlight on our work—and for bringing much-needed attention to the issue of voter suppression. Read here.
PRESS RELEASE: Civic Influencers Joins Lawsuit to Sue Ohio’s Secretary of State over New Youth Suppression Law
January 27, 2023
Civic Influencers today announced that it has joined a lawsuit over Ohio’s new voter suppression law for restricting the ability of young people and other Buckeyes to cast their ballots. Other plaintiffs in the suit, filed by Elias Law Group, include the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, Ohio Federation of Teachers, Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans, and Union Veterans Council. Read our press release here.
VPM/NPR: “Civic Influencers hope to turbocharge student voters”
November 7, 2022
“A recent NPR/Marist poll found that out of any age group, young Americans were least likely to say they plan to vote in the upcoming election. One reason, according to a Harvard study, is a sharp increase in young people believing their vote doesn’t make a difference. But one organization is running a campaign for and by young people to get out the vote.” Read here.
Newsweek: “Could Gen Z Voters' Views on Issues Cost Republicans in Midterms?”
October 17, 2022
With only 20 days until the 2022 midterm elections, this Newsweek article highlighting our strategy is very timely and a must read. Read here.
Civic Influencers Press Conference and Town Hall
October 21, 2021
Civic Influencers, a national nonpartisan nonprofit operating locally across the country, on and off campus, in local communities and states, that empowers young people to build their civic power and increase voting rates amongst their peers, hosted a virtual press briefing via Zoom on October 21, 2021 at 12:00 pm EST to announce its relaunch as an organization and a new partnership with Tableau Foundation. This press briefing addressed exactly how Civic Influencers’ innovative and funded data driven strategies will empower young people in the upcoming years “so that by pulling together, young people can increase their civic and voting power and help control their own destiny,” says Maxim Thorne, CEO of Civic Influencers. Watch here.
About Education Podcast with Neil Kreisel
September 7, 2022
“Young people’s ability to swing elections and determine the course of our democracy is the greatest it has ever been. In 2020, 12 congressional seats were flipped with less than a fraction of local campus enrollment. Presidential, Senatorial, Gubernatorial and down ballot elections – all can be powered by young voters.” Listen here.
PRESS RELEASE: Campus Election Engagement Project Hires Maxim Thorne as Chief Executive Officer
June 7, 2021
Seattle, WA, Release: June 7, 2021. Campus Election Engagement Project (CEEP), a national nonpartisan student voting engagement organization, is pleased to announce Maxim Thorne as CEEP’s new CEO. Maxim’s vision, leadership and expertise will help CEEP be even more impactful as we engage young people to participate, defend and promote our democracy.
Maxim earned a B.A. (cum laude honors) in Economics and Political Science from Yale College and a J.D. from the Yale Law School. Maxim has served as the Managing Director of The Andrew Goodman Foundation, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications and Development Officer of NAACP, the Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Human Rights Campaign and HRC Foundation and the Executive Director of NJ Head Start Association. As a dedicated leader and advocate, Maxim has served on the Board of Directors of many organizations as well, including the founding Board of Yale Black Alumni Association, Chaired the 40th Anniversary of the Afro-American Cultural Center at Yale, Honorary Co-Chair of the 50th Anniversary of the Afro-American Cultural Center at Yale, the Board of Governors of Yale University, Executive Committee of the Yale Law School, GLAAD, the North Star Fund, Amistad Research Center, Barnert Hospital Foundation and Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey. He also serves on the Yale Alumni Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
“Maxim is the kind of transformative leader that can take CEEP to the next level. For all of us on the CEEP Board, we are confident that Maxim is that leader. As we look to the future, we are excited to grow CEEP into an even greater, more successful organization to have the largest impact on students and campuses across the country,” said CEEP’s Board of Directors Chair, Elizabeth Ricci.