Empowering our youth to strengthen our democracy
Students for Voting Justice is a nonpartisan paid internship program that develops young leaders while increasing voter turnout in critical elections.
SVJ recruits college students primarily from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, DC. We also have a cohort at LaGuardia Community College in Queens, New York. More than 95% of our interns identify as people of color
2026: A Critical Year
In 2026, SVJ is focusing on the pivotal U.S. Senate elections in Georgia and North Carolina, where turnout among youth and Black voters could help determine control of the Senate.
To meet this moment, we are expanding our program to enroll 100 interns who will engage voters, recruit volunteers, and strengthen democracy while developing leadership skills that will serve them and their communities for a lifetime.
“Fighting for everyone’s voice to be heard will never stop being important to me now.” – Yumtso B., intern
Our Model
Our interns do much more than learn about democracy. They practice it.
Our interns engage directly in voter outreach, recruit and lead volunteers, create social media campaigns, participate in leadership workshops, and work alongside experienced mentors who provide guidance, encouragement, and career coaching. Through these experiences, they gain practical skills, build confidence, and discover their own capacity to shape their country and its future. Civic engagement is the antidote to disconnection and despair.
SVJ has two equal goals:
Increase voter turnout.
Our interns help engage youth and Black voters in Georgia and North Carolina during even-year elections and in Virginia during odd-year elections, providing critical nonpartisan information about when, where, and how to vote.
Develop civic leaders.
We help college students become lifelong voters, organizers, advocates, and leaders who are equipped to strengthen their communities and our democracy for years to come.
Our Impact
Since its founding in 2020, Students for Voting Justice has provided more than 1,000 paid internships and reached more than 10 million potential voters through grassroots and digital outreach.
Our interns have:
-
Recruited nearly 6,000 volunteers, most of them fellow college students, to write postcards.
-
Mailed more than 350,000 handwritten postcards to registered voters.
-
Made more than 300,000 phone calls and sent more than 850,000 text messages.
-
Reached millions of young people through social media campaigns they designed themselves.
Just as important, hundreds of interns have developed leadership skills, formed lasting mentoring relationships, and become more deeply engaged in civic and political life. More than 100 have completed our leadership development program and gone on to serve as team managers and senior team managers, helping to guide and support the next generation of interns.
Mentorship
Every SVJ intern is paired with an experienced volunteer who provides supervision, encouragement, and one-on-one mentoring. These relationships often continue long after the internship ends.
For many students, SVJ is the first time an accomplished professional has taken a personal interest in their future. Mentors help interns navigate challenges, explore career paths, strengthen leadership skills, and imagine possibilities they may never have considered before.
We believe democracy is strengthened not only when more people vote, but when more young people discover their own ability to lead.
Who We Are
Students for Voting Justice was founded by Claire Ullman, a political scientist and former faculty member at Barnard College and Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, and Sandra Radoff, a data scientist, former business owner, and longtime civic activist.
SVJ is proud to be an initiative of the Center for Common Ground, a person-of-color-led 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering voters in communities of color in voter-suppression states.
“I liked creating TikToks because I think they are a great way to connect to younger voters who may not know how to vote or its importance. Young voters are a very important population because they are the next adults and their concerns are important, yet they are the biggest group that does not vote.” – Maya M., intern
(c) 2026 Students for Voting Justice
Students for Voting Justice is a campaign of the Center for Common Ground, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization