Unite & Rise 8.5 aims to build a movement of 8.5 million individuals to unite and rise up against the anti-democratic actions of this administration. The movement launched in May 2025 and will run until the 2026 midterm elections.

Why 8.5? 

The number 8.5 million is the estimated number of voters it would take to bring about change through nonviolent protest. This is based on the following finding from the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights: 

“Nonviolent protests are twice as likely to succeed as armed conflicts...and those engaging a threshold of 3.5% of the population have never failed to bring about change.” 

According to the University of Florida, approximately 245 million Americans were eligible to vote in the 2024 general election. According to the above research, if 3.5% of these eligible voters — 8,575,000 people — engage in nonviolent protests, we will bring about meaningful change. 

How Can You Make Change? 

Unite and Rise 8.5 will fight for our democracy on multiple fronts, from the courts to the streets. More actions will be outlined in the future, but as of today, here are a few you can take: 

• Protect democracy: Tell your Senators to oppose the anti-voter SAVE Act;
• Raise your voice about illegal deportations: join mobilizations around immigrant rights and due process with organizations like the National Partnership for New Americans, United We Dream, and others;
• “Turn Up the Heat” on elected officials: Connect directly with your representatives on the issues that matter via Town Halls and other opportunities
• Act locally: Join local organizations like your state or local League to act on the issues that matter in your community. 

A federal court judge has issued a ruling in League of Women Voters et al. v. Trump et al., temporarily blocking the US Election Assistance Commission (EAC) from implementing a provision in the President's Executive Order adding a requirement to show a passport or similar document proving citizenship when registering to vote via the federal form. While the case proceeds, this injunction preserves the status quo where would-be-voters already affirm under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens on the federal form.

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May Day Strong
May 1, 2025

On Thursday, May 1, the League of Women Voters supported the nationwide show of people power in a National Day of Action.  Participants lined College Avenue in Fort Collins from Mulberry to Horsetooth. These are scary times, but courage is contagious! The more people who see us out there protesting, the more people will join us on the streets in the coming months.