DNC launches large-scale partisan voter-registration drive
DNC will spend millions on 'When We Count,' training fellows in Arizona and Nevada to register young, noncollege, and minority voters ahead of midterm elections.
Overview
Who: The Democratic National Committee is launching 'When We Count,' committing seven-figure funds to build the party's largest-ever partisan voter registration program.
What and where: The pilot targets Arizona and Nevada with at least $2 million for organizer training, aiming to register tens of thousands of new Democratic voters.
Who targeted/how: The initiative recruits fellows from gig workers, young parents, and non-college Americans to reach young people, voters of color, and blue-collar communities.
Why: DNC leaders cite a net loss of registered Democrats since 2020 and Republican gains, arguing partisan registration is needed to rebuild the party's base.
Context and politics: The shift reduces reliance on nonpartisan nonprofits, responds to internal pressure over midterm strategy, and aims to create durable infrastructure for 2026 and beyond.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a pragmatic corrective move by Democrats, emphasizing urgency and strategic necessity. Editorial choices — leading with DNC spending, foregrounding quotes from party leaders and allied organizers, and omitting independent or critical voices — cast the initiative as a necessary, positive response to Republican advantages.
Sources (3)
FAQ
The 'When We Count' initiative is the Democratic National Committee's largest-ever partisan voter registration program, involving a seven-figure investment to train hundreds of paid fellows to register tens of thousands of new Democratic voters, starting with pilots in Arizona and Nevada.
The DNC launched it to reverse net losses of registered Democrats since 2020, counter Republican registration gains, and reduce reliance on nonpartisan nonprofits that have led to growth in unaffiliated voters.
The pilot program initially targets Arizona and Nevada due to widening Democratic registration gaps, with Arizona losing nearly 186,000 registered Democrats since 2020 and Nevada's Democratic edge narrowing significantly.[1]
The program targets young voters (ages 18-29) outside four-year colleges, including working-class, non-college, minority, and blue-collar communities, as well as Latino voters in Nevada.
It responds to Republican gains in 2024 elections and internal House Democrat pressure ahead of 2026 midterms, aiming to build durable infrastructure for future elections.
History
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