Report
Investing in Rural and Small-Town Voters
Voting trends show the importance of rural voters and inform effective strategies for funding rural civic engagement.
The urgency to invest in rural and small-town voters
Learn about the data and historical trends of rural civic engagement.
- Stop the Insurrectionist Faction — We face a dangerous faction seeking to divide us with culture war messaging, mislead people with disinformation, and sabotage our institutions of governance. We must increase support for the rural-led groups engaging and mobilizing our communities to build bridges across the political spectrum and engage hard-working people in our civic institutions.
- Persuade Swing Voters — Rural and small-town voters are among the swingiest voters.
- Concentrated Political Power — Rural and small-town voters are disproportionately influential in electing the president and controlling the Senate.
State-by-state analysis
The report reviews voting trends and demographic shifts and sorts Senate races into six categories. It also highlights 12 states for rural and small-town investment.
Seeing rural
Rural communities look different from each other, and it’s essential to develop strategies unique to each community. The report identifies seven different kinds of non-metro counties
Making progress
Informed by our staff’s deep knowledge of civic engagement and the work of our grantees, the report identifies barriers and opportunities for rural work. Read the report for the “Top Ten challenges in non-metro organizing,” “What Works in non-metro America,” and “Our Theory of Change.”
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Civic Engagement Resources
Rural Democracy provides tools and original research to better understand rural voters.
Rural Map and Dashboard
Rural classifications to the country’s census tracts, counties, congressional districts, and states.
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What Works in Rural America
Guidelines for effective messaging, engagement, and communications
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All the People, All the Places
A valuable landscape analysis for funders and other partners focused on the challenges and opportunities facing our small cities and rural areas.
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