ThinkTennessee

I’m proud to serve on the board of ThinkTennessee, an organization committed to improving the lives of all Tennesseans, including our most vulnerable citizens and communities. As a native-Memphian, I’m honored that ThinkTennessee is raising awareness about the need for sufficient and dedicated funding for public transportation in my beloved city.

It's about 63 days until the November election, and #Tennesseans must register to vote by Oct. 7 to participate. A nonpartisan organization's latest findings reveal #Tennessee trails most other states for rates of voter registration and turnout. As of 2023, there were an estimated 156,000 unregistered residents in Davidson, Shelby, Knox and Hamilton counties. Comments from report author Dawn Schluckebier, Advocacy and Government Relations Director ThinkTennessee. https://shorturl.at/bFglW

MATA needs sufficient resources to operate an effective transit system. The recent transit cuts in Memphis demonstrate the consequences of years of insufficient transit funding at the federal, state, and local level – Memphis continues to spend less than peer cities on transit [see chart below] and the results are inadequate service causing low ridership. This is particularly harmful to those who rely on transit - almost half (48.8%) of public transit commuters live below the poverty level and two-thirds (65.9%) do not have access to a vehicle. Memphis has the 3rd highest rate of delinquent auto loans out of the top 50 metro areas, which is a strong indicator that residents are being forced into car ownership, even if they can’t afford it. High-quality transit reduces household costs and provides access to jobs, schools, fresh food, and critical medical appointments. Memphis residents deserve better transit. News: "MATA to slash hundreds of jobs, bus routes and trolleys": https://lnkd.in/gmjzi75X

While most of us are already looking ahead to the general election, taking a moment to evaluate Tennessee’s August 1st state and federal primary can give us clues of what to expect in November. Read our latest blog post for some key takeaways from the August elections, including low voter turnout, more candidates running this year in state races, and how three races came down to fewer than 200 votes. ✨ You can find this and all future blog posts on our new blog page, Tennessee Policy Pulse! https://lnkd.in/eG9fWJUH #TNvotes #GoVoteTN #voterturnout #Election2024 #voterengagement #civicengagement

Cumberland Region Tomorrow's 2024 Power of Ten Summit: Moving Middle Tennessee is happening on Sept. 17! Do you have your ticket yet? Our very own Erin Hafkenschiel will be moderating a panel, joining a very impressive slate of speakers to address the challenges and opportunities surrounding regional mobility in Middle Tennessee. Find more information and register here: https://bit.ly/p10tickets

🔊 Listen to Dawn Schluckebier, ThinkTennessee's Advocacy and Government Relations Director, discuss the current state of voter participation in Tennessee in the latest podcast episode from Humanities Tennessee: https://lnkd.in/eqwhXRY5 Dawn also mentions ThinkTN's Voter Education series on topics ranging from voter registration, casting ballots, absentee voting, and more, which you can find here: https://lnkd.in/eXrgRTUB #civicengagement #voterengagement #votereducation #voterturnout #TNVoterEdSeries #TNVotes #GoVoteTN

Did you know that 35% of registered voters in Tennessee didn't participate in the last presidential election? Or that the deadline to register is 30 days before the election? Or that if you've moved counties you have to reregister? Listen to my interview with Dawn Schluckebier at ThinkTennessee to learn more about the state of voting in Tennessee and the work they are doing to build a better future through voter participation. And register to vote! #podcast #democracy #registertovote

Tennessee has a rich civic history, from casting the decisive vote to ratify the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote to being the setting for so many key moments in the civil rights movement. Yet, in a comparison of voter registration and turnout rates, our new fact sheet finds that Tennessee consistently trails almost all other states in the country in both presidential and midterm election cycles. By examining this data at the county level, our analysis identifies opportunities to increase civic engagement in both urban and rural communities. Read more in our fact sheet: https://lnkd.in/eWsp_deB #TNVotes #GoVoteTN #voterturnout #voterregistration #civicengagement

Planning to vote absentee in Tennessee’s August 1 primary? You’ll need to request your absentee ballot by tomorrow 7/25! Only some Tennesseans are eligible to request an absentee ballot, and in TN all absentee ballots must be received by mail by the end of Election Day for your vote to count. (This means that if you request a ballot now, you only have about a week to receive it, make your ballot selections, and mail it back in time to be received by Aug. 1). Learn more about Voting Absentee in Part 3 of our #TNVoterEdSeries at bit.ly/TN-vote-absentee. #TNVotes #GoVoteTN #Election2024 #AbsenteeVoting #ElectionDay2024 #GOTV

Are you an undergrad, grad student, or law student interested in public policy, nonprofit management, or communications? We are now accepting applications for our Fall 2024 internship positions! We are looking for a law clerk, research assistant (graduate student), and social media intern to join us during the fall semester. Full job descriptions and qualifications can be found on our website at https://lnkd.in/gJM-mj5u. Applications due by August 2.