Biden on Track to Win, Thanks to Women and Women of Color – Now We Need to Count the Votes

WASHINGTON – As we await the results of the 2020 presidential election, Shaunna Thomas, executive director of UltraViolet, a leading national women’s advocacy organization, issued the following statement:

“Let’s be clear, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the popular vote and very likely the electors needed to win the electoral college vote thanks to the work of women, and specifically women of color across the country who have been organizing to protect our democracy from day one. From the beginning we knew that this election would be unprecedented and it would take time to count the votes – we need to do just that now to ensure that every vote cast is counted.

“Americans across race, place of origins and zip code turned out in record numbers to stand with and for each other. Across the country, women, and especially Black and Latinx women, organized and because of their herculean efforts in places like Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia delivered the votes that will likely put Biden in the White House and make Kamala Harris the first Black woman Vice President. They saved our democracy – and now we must make sure the votes they delivered are counted.

“Donald Trump and Republicans know that the only way they have a chance to win is if they steal the election and stop the vote count. We won’t let them. Count the votes and let the American people pick their next President.”

In 2020, UltraViolet Action organized the first ever Women’s Disinformation Defense Project, a war room of progressive organizations focused explicitly on preventing the spread of racist and sexist disinformation targeting women candidates and voters. Designed to defend Vice President Kamala Harris and other women and women of color running for office, and inoculated women voters from attempts to smear these candidates, UltraViolet’s $1.5m election work included:

Media accountability campaigns focused on de-platforming those that perpetuated racist and sexist disinformation, including the publication of a comprehensive media guide on how the media can cover women politicians and people of color in politics. This also included calls on the DNC to block all Democratic presidential candidates with active non-disclosure agreements for sexual harassment and workplace abuse on debate
Platform accountability – focused on holding platforms like Facebook and Twitter accountable for the spread of racist and sexist disinformation, as well as the promotion of right-wing violence and QAnon conspiracy theories.
Direct voter engagement, popularizing the fact that voters should expect right-wing disinformation attacks focused on racism and sexism, and countered it with positive messages to low propensity voters in battleground states, creating a permission structure encouraging turnout. This included running a six figure ad buy in English and Spanish targeting young, Black, and Latina voters with turnout and pro-Biden content.

In total, UltraViolet’s efforts reached 36 million voters with electoral outreach programs across organic and paid media.

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