Civitech

Juneteenth is a federal holiday to celebrate the emancipation of the last major group of enslaved people under Confederate control. As a result of the Emancipation Proclamation, which had legally granted freedom two and a half years earlier, Juneteenth marks the official end of chattel slavery.

Civitech will be closed in observance of the holiday on Friday, June 19.

To learn more about Juneteenth, visit the Civitech blog and read our newest post, 'The State of the Vote: Black Voter Suppression in 2026'. Link in the comments.

Attacks on the LGBTQ+ community yield dangerous results.

In 2023, legislatures introduced more than 520 anti-LGBTQ+ bills; half targeted trans and non-binary people, and many targeted youth specifically. 74 of these bills were passed into law.

Read the full breakdown on our blog, link in the comments below.

We're on the move!

Find Civitech at the Texas Democratic Convention, June 25th to 27th. We'll be sponsoring and attending the convention in Corpus Christi, TX. Come meet us and say hi!

Sam, an 84-year-old rural California resident, has the same routine on the first Monday in November: before lunch, Sam drops off his ballot at the mailbox conveniently located next to his home. Same routine for 66 years.

This year, that all changes. Because of a new USPS rule change that happened late last year, for the first time in his life, Sam’s ballot wouldn’t be counted if he lives in one of 14 states or D.C. But why? He did everything right!

Sadly for Sam, and for every other voter who relies on a mail-in ballot, voter suppression doesn’t just come in the form of dramatic bans or explicit discrimination. It can hide behind technical changes that “just-so-happen” to disproportionately harm these communities. The USPS changed a rule that will make it so voters like Sam won’t have a voice this November, despite doing everything right like they have so many times before.

Our work is dedicated to helping people like Sam. We stand with him and all other voters, fighting to ensure every eligible voice is heard, no matter how the rules change.

Read the full breakdown on the Civitech blog, link in comments.

We're on the move! Come find us at the following events this weekend:
>>> Nevada State Democratic Party Convention
>>> Arkansas Democrats 2026 State Convention
>>> WisDems State Convention

Stay up to date on where to find us by liking Civitech on Facebook!

Learn more at https://hubs.li/Q04ldVBJ0

36 states require mail ballots to be returned and received on or before Election Day to count. 14 states and Washington, D.C., allow ballots received after Election Day to be counted if postmarked on or before Election Day.

Last year, the Republican-led USPS disguised voter suppression as new rule changes. The change redefined postmarks, which previously reflected the date USPS first received a mailed item. Under the new rule, the term now reflects the date the item is processed, which is often days later. With these, mail-in voters can do everything “right” and still be disenfranchised.

At Civitech, our work is dedicated to protecting voters, combatting electoral barriers, and expanding access to democracy.

Read the full breakdown on the Civitech blog:
https://hubs.li/Q04lgBSr0

Voters can do everything “right” and still be disenfranchised.

Last year, the Republican-led USPS blurred the lines of what legal deadlines for mail-in voting are. Before, voters trusted that mailing ballots by deadlines meant their votes counted. Now, a ballot mailed on time could be rejected because it wasn’t processed quickly enough.

A voter can follow every instruction and still end up disenfranchised. This erodes trust in our democratic process and discourages engagement.

Civitech will continue to stand with voters to ensure every eligible voice is heard, no matter how the rules change.

Read the full breakdown on the Civitech blog here:
https://hubs.li/Q04l6_CD0

Last week in Philadelphia, Civitech was a partner sponsor of Netroots Nation 2026!

The Civitech team got to meet new progressives in the exhibition hall, give out some fun swag, and represent on two panels: 'From Contact to Captain: Digital Organizing Strategies' and 'Recruiting the Next Generation of Candidates to End Uncontested Races'.

If you missed us in Philly, you can visit our website at to find out how Civitech can deliver the engagement tools you need to inspire real change.

>>>https://hubs.li/Q04k-Z5z0

A quiet rule change at the US Postal Service is putting millions of mail-in ballots at risk, and most voters don't even know it happened.

Under the new rule, a postmark no longer reflects when USPS received your ballot. It now reflects when it's processed, which can be days later. For voters in states that accept ballots postmarked by Election Day, that gap could mean the difference between a vote that counts and one that doesn't.

In Washington state alone, late-postmark rejections nearly tripled just one year after the change took effect.

This rule disproportionately affects the same communities that rely most on vote-by-mail: seniors, rural voters, voters with disabilities, and voters of color.

We wrote a full breakdown of what changed, which states are affected, and how voter organizations can respond.

Read more here: https://hubs.li/Q04k9W-R0

This week, we'll be at Netroots Nation in Philadelphia. Come find us!

Civitech will be at Booth No. 506.

Thursday at 1PM:
Taylor from Civitech will be a panel feature at 'From Contact to Captain: Digital Organizing Strategies for Scale'

Friday at 3PM:
Kyle from Civitech will be a panel feature at 'Recruiting the Next Generation of Candidates to End Uncontested Races'

Details on these panels and Netroots Nation can be found at https://hubs.li/Q04jXZrZ0

Like Civitech on Facebook to stay up to date on where you can find us at future events! More information at https://hubs.li/Q04jY4x60