In this momentous time of unprecedented voter turnout and the election of the nation’s first black president, Campus Progress Action celebrates the defeat of Proposition 46 in Colorado, preserving equal opportunity programs in that state, and mourns the passage of Proposition 8 in California, which will rewrite the state Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry.

Through the efforts of numerous youth-led organizations on the ground and nationally, such as Rock the Vote, Energy Action Coalition, and others, young voters turned out on election day in record numbers to demand a mandate for change. This year, young voters between the ages of 18-29 comprised 18% of the electorate, while voters 65 and older counted for 16% of the electorate. Not only were young voters a larger part of the electorate than seniors, an estimated 23 million young people cast their vote in this election -- 3.4 million more than in 2004. To engage young people around the election, Campus Progress Action partnered with non-partisan efforts such as Trick or Vote, Video the Vote, and the Twitter Vote Report, encouraging students on campuses all across the country to remind their friends to vote and report problems at their polling place and in their communities.

Today, we’re taking pride in the fact that for the first time in its twelve year history, Ward Connerly’s deceptive anti-equal opportunity ballot initiative in Colorado, Proposition 46, has been voted down in a statewide election. Losses in California in 1996, Michigan in 2006, and Nebraska this year have finally been matched by a victory, and Colorado will preserve its equal opportunity initiatives in higher education, employment, and contracting. Campus Progress Action staff, student representatives, and friends worked to defeat this initiative through tireless phone-banking, emailing, press outreach and peer-to-peer interaction. The defeat of this proposition not only ensures the protection of vital programs in the state of Colorado, but stems the tide of challenges to diversity and equal access to education nationally.

Of course, while there is much reason to celebrate right now, the decisions by voters in California, Arizona, and Florida to ban marriage equality, and in Arkansas to deny unmarried couples the right to adopt children (widely seen as a way to prevent gay couples from adopting) create cause for concern. Proposition 8 was a particular loss for the progressive community, as it represents the first time the state repealed a previously-recognized right. In order to bolster efforts by young people to combat Proposition 8, Campus Progress Action provided an action grant to students to help them sponsor events on their campuses. The Goldman School of Public Policy (GSPP) at UC-Berkeley used their grant to host a fundraiser to defeat Proposition 8. The event was a great success, bringing in more than $5,000 from over 70 people who attended, and an additional $1,200 from other sources. Members of the Queer Student Union at UC-Santa Barbara used their grant to raise awareness about Proposition 8 by staging mock marriage ceremonies for 50 couples. Notably, Santa Barbara was the only county in Southern California to vote NO on Proposition 8.

Although the passage of Proposition 8 was disappointing, it is important to note that the No on Prop 8 campaign raised record amounts of money, and mobilized one of the largest grassroots and volunteer networks in history to build a strong coalition for the future of civil rights. Young people (who according to a CNN exit poll, voted against Proposition 8 by a 61% margin) overwhelmingly support equality and justice for the LGBT community, and will continue to be an essential part of the grassroots effort. Visit Equality California for the latest news and information on how to help the ongoing fight for equality in California. Also, check out videos from the I’m Voting For campaign that show young people talking about their support for LGBT Rights:

-         Raymond on GLBT Rights

-         Emma on not getting married

Campus Progress Action applauds the hard work of staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly to defeat Propositions 8 and 46, but recognizes that there is still much work to be done to ensure equality for all, and expand the scope and impact of the progressive movement. Campus Progress Action encourages young people to remain engaged in progressive work post-election through our programs in activism, journalism, and events, and to connect to the larger progressive community so that we can make sure our elected officials are held accountable. For more information, please visit our website at www.campusprogressaction.org.