TIRRC Votes Endorsement Process
Overview:
The mission of TIRRC Votes is to strengthen and expand democracy by building power in immigrant and refugee communities across Tennessee. We need bold and unapologetic leadership to not only support immigrant and refugee communities but to combat rising authoritarianism and state overreach. We seek to support candidates who will stand up for progressive values and defend democracy. To maximize the impact of our resources, we do not endorse in every race.
Our endorsements are based on several factors that aim to increase voter turnout among immigrant, Black, and Brown communities, and to build progressive political power in Tennessee. TIRRC Votes considers a range of factors when determining which candidates to endorse and where to invest in voter mobilization and turnout. Factors for consideration include, but are not limited to:
Demographics of the district with priority for districts with large populations of immigrants and refugees;
Candidate's voting record or experience/familiarity with immigrant and refugee communities;
Candidate’s policy platform, website, social media, and public remarks;
Completion and score from the TIRRC Votes candidate survey and interviews;
Viability, campaign infrastructure, and/or opposition.
TIRRC Votes is also committed to being a champion for candidates with an immigrant background or a candidate of color that is a bold and unapologetic champion of our communities and our values, even when their races aren’t traditionally considered as competitive as other races.
TIRRC Votes' endorsement process includes sending surveys to all candidates with key questions that align with our policy priorities, evaluating questionnaires using a consistent rubric, and conducting interviews with those who have adequate scores on surveys. The TIRRC Votes Board will make the final endorsement decision based on the totality of factors.
*** Please note*** TIRRC Votes typically runs independent expenditure campaigns, which means that we cannot coordinate with candidates or campaigns. Our GOTV efforts are targeted at increasing turnout in our communities with the goal of building power in immigrant and refugee communities. On some occasions, TIRRC Votes endorses are “in name” only to maximize resources in competitive districts.
Occasionally, candidates, news outlets, or the public may name our sister organization TIRRC by mistake. TIRRC is a 501(c)3 organization and does not endorse candidates. And if for any reason you need to describe our organization, you can describe it as follows: TIRRC Votes is the 501(c)4 affiliate of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC).