What it looks like when we work together 🔍

Every major social movement in history has been driven by young people. As Next Up Action Fund, we don’t only achieve victories; we see tangible change with youth boldly leading the way. Since 2002, we’ve provided structure and support so young people can develop their grassroots organizing and leadership skills to make Oregon the most accessible state to vote in the entire country. Because young people have a right to make decisions about the world we live in and the future we will inherit.

To understand the holistic impacts of our work, see below for the achievements of Next Up Action Fund, our sister organization and 501c4 branch.

Passed in 2023

Despite Oregon’s success with DMV-based AVR (automatic voter registration), a significant number of eligible voters in the state remained unregistered to vote or were registered under an old address or name. We led the campaign to expand AVR to Medicaid, where an estimated 170,000 eligible people will be automatically registered to vote.

Expansion of Automatic voter registration

Passed in 2022

Transforming Justice

Helped reduce racial disparities in traffic stops, improved success for people on probation and parole, and created the Justice Reinvestment Equity Program

Passed in 2022

online voter registration modernization

An expanded online voter registration system (OVR+) allows registrants to upload an image of their signature and register online with the last four digits of their social security number. Now more Oregonians will be able to register to vote and update their registrations conveniently.

Passed in 2021

Civics Education

Schools can and should play a key role in ensuring that all young people have access to the information and skill-building they need to be engaged and informed participants in their communities. With an update on the civics education requirements during the State Board of Education's review of social studies standards, the board will emphasize and make accessible instruction related to civics education while also involving various community stakeholders in the process.

Passed in 2019

Paid Postage

With the passage of paid postage, voting is finally free in Oregon, with every single mailbox becoming a drop box. This reform will help ensure there’s a ballot in the hands of every eligible voter and that everyone participates. Signed into law on August 2, 2019, it is estimated that this bill will increase voter turnout by an astonishing 5-10%!

Passed in 2017+2007

16 and 17 Year Old voter reg.

Recognizing the impact of automatic voter registration and the infrequency with which Oregonians access the DMV, we decided to expand pre-registration to 16-year-olds in 2017. We won in the legislature, and as of January 1, 2018, all eligible 16- and 17-year-olds can register to vote. According to Oregon’s Secretary of State office, 195,500 16 and 17-year-olds have pre-registered to vote.

2016

Equal ballot access

With the OSA, we helped add additional drop box locations on college campuses. With the Oregon Student Association, we helped add additional drop box locations on college campuses. In the first months of OMV/AVR, nearly 100,000 Oregonians were added to the voter rolls. To help educate new voters and encourage them to vote, we partnered with The Oregon League of Conservation Voters Education Fund to make a multi-layered voter mobilization effort through door and phone contact to increase turnout among these new, largely low-propensity voters. We also won the creation of the Open & Accountable Elections public campaign funding program at the City of Portland in a large coalition effort.

Passed in 2015

1st Automatic voter registration Law

After a half-decade of leadership and advocacy from Next Up alongside a coalition of advocates, Oregon was the first state to pass automatic voter registration in 2015. It became operational in 2016, automatically registering eligible citizens to vote and allowing them to update their registration addresses through DMV records. This resulted in more than 500,000 new registrations and more than 93% of our state being registered to vote.