Program overview

Supported by in-state redistricting experts and partners leading democracy organizing, this program will identify and train community leaders to serve as regional Census and Redistricting Fellows for 12 months starting in the first quarter of 2021. Fellows will learn skills critical to monitoring and intervening in the 2021-2022 redistricting process at every level.

Background

In the first redistricting cycle since losing Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, voting rights advocates must approach redistricting community education and advocacy in a more strategic, efficient manner.  Section 5 provided advocates and litigators a notification system to monitor and act when appropriate on redistricting changes proposed in formerly covered jurisdictions (17 states, mostly in the South, that were, prior to the United States Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder, subject in whole or part to Section 5’s preclearance requirement).

Section 5’s preclearance requirement also bought affected communities time to assess proposed redistricting changes because those changes could not legally be implemented until federal approval was obtained.  Without Section 5, redistricting changes will go into effect immediately upon passage.  This increases the pressure on communities to object to problematic plans during the legislative process and, if unsuccessful, to litigate those plans immediately after passage.

Without the notification element and the extra time afforded by the preclearance process, advocates must equip and support communities across the South to both act as the “eyes and ears” notification system lost after the Shelby decision, and to engage meaningfully in the redistricting process, from demystifying the process to producing, analyzing and advocating for maps.  Following the return of the decennial census data, redistricting at all levels of government--from congressional districts to town council districts.  There are simply not enough experienced voting rights advocates to be in every community, but those advocates can provide support--technical, legal and base-building--so that communities themselves can utilize the tools those experienced advocates use.  And those communities, already deeply familiar with the electoral systems and how those systems are structured to serve (or not) their best interests, will be well positioned to participate in the redistricting process and advocate for their own best interests.

Canvasser positions are available in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Alexandria, Shreveport/Bossier & Northeast Louisiana.

Full and part-time positions available.

The Vaccine Equity Project is a grassroots, door-to-door canvassing and phone bank campaign to improve vaccine access and vaccine equity in low-income, low-vaccinated neighborhoods across Louisiana.

The campaign’s mission is to transform the lowest-vaccinated areas into the highest-vaccinated areas, neighborhood by neighborhood.

The campaign will:

• Identify the highest-priority census tracts based on social vulnerability and current vaccination rate;
• Partner with local community institutions to organize a neighborhood-level vaccination event within the target neighborhood;
• Conduct door-to-door canvassing to every home in target areas to schedule vaccine appointments for residents at their neighborhood event.

We are hiring canvassers to go door-to-door to speak with residents and schedule vaccination appointments for residents at neighborhood-level vaccination events.

This job is temporary and will continue for one to three months starting on April 14th. The position pays $15 per hour.

This is a physically active position, meaning canvassers must be able to handle both frequent idle pauses and remaining mobile for extended periods of time.

Requirements:

• Good people skills
• Good knowledge of smartphone use and smartphone apps
• Ability to work up to 20 hours per week
• Available to work evenings and weekends
• Ability to work outdoors for long periods of time (for canvassers only)

The Vaccine Equity Project is part of Bring Back Louisiana -- a partnership between the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, the Louisiana Department of Health, the Louisiana Public Health Institute, Louisiana Primary Care Association, vaccine providers, and other community organizations.