The goal of this research is to support grassroots organizations’ work with local election officials and to tell the stories of organizers fighting for democracy at the local level. This case study uses the advocacy experiences of Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) and the Arizona Center for Empowerment (ACE) to identify general and specific state and local level strategies for voter-centered advocacy efforts.

Takeaways on building power and developing advocacy strategies for local election reforms:

• Grassroots movements for democracy evolve over years, not in one or two election cycles.
• Organizations needs a continual stream of funding year-round.
• Strong relationships with local election officials can be developed through expansive outreach and proposals for partnerships.
• Advocating for local election officials to leverage areas of administrative flexibility is one of many ways that grassroots organizations can advance voting policies that support their communities.
• Following advocacy successes, there may be backlash or retaliation by state or local officials that change the rules or eliminate the tools used to achieve victory.