Ballot Initiative Strategy Center

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| name = Ballot Initiative Strategy Center

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| formation = 1999

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| headquarters = Washington, DC

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| region = United States

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| leader_title = Executive Director

| leader_name = Chris Melody Fields Figueredo

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| website = {{url|http://ballot.org/}}

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The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC) is a liberal American advocacy organization which tries to motivate voters to go to the polls through the strategic deployment of liberal-oriented ballot initiatives.{{cite news|last1=Benton Cooney|first1=Jessica|title=Wage Initiatives Motivate Voters, Study Finds|url=https://www.nytimes.com/cq/2007/02/22/cq_2315.html?pagewanted=print|accessdate=13 August 2014|newspaper=The New York Times|date=2007-02-22}} The group provides legal advice and political expertise for left-leaning ballot measure campaigns.{{cite web|url=https://www.publicintegrity.org/2016/01/06/19082/national-liberal-groups-push-record-number-2016-ballot-measures|title=National liberal groups to push 'record' number of 2016 ballot measures |website=publicintegrity.com |date=2016-01-06 |accessdate=2017-01-06}}

Organization

BISC was founded in 1999. In 2007, BISC moved into an office on K Street.{{cite news|last1=Patch|first1=Jeff|title=Liberal Beachhead Established on K Street|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0207/2894.html|accessdate=13 August 2014|work=Politico|date=2007-02-26}}

Focus

In 2016, the group's executive director said it was focusing on issues related to economic fairness, such as minimum wage measures. Targeted states and campaigns were not specified.

Funding

BISC does not publicly disclose its donors.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} The group has received financial support from billionaire George Soros and his Open Society Institute, NARAL Pro-Choice America, the Ford Foundation, and the National Education Association.{{cite news|last1=Fund|first1=John|title=Taking the Initiative|url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB122529622311180629|accessdate=13 August 2014|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=2006-10-16}}{{cite web |title=Ballot Initiative Strategy Center |url=http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/committee.phtml?c=12443| publisher=OpenSecrets}}{{cite web|title=Ballot Initiative Strategy Center Foundation|url=http://www.fordfoundation.org/grants/grantdetails?grantid=119126|publisher=Ford Foundation|accessdate=13 August 2014}} BISC is a member of America Votes, a 501(c)(4) organization that aims "to coordinate and promote progressive issues."{{cite web|title=National Partners|url=http://www.americavotes.org/nationalpartnerspage|publisher=America Votes|accessdate=13 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701062944/http://www.americavotes.org/nationalpartnerspage|archive-date=1 July 2014|url-status=dead}}

References

{{reflist|30em}}

Further reading

  • {{cite book | last=Magleby | first=D.B. | last2=Magleby | first2=D.P.P.S.D.B. | last3=Patterson | first3=K.D. | title=Battle for Congress: Iraq, Scandal, and Campaign Finance in the 2006 Election | publisher=Taylor & Francis | year=2015 | isbn=978-1-317-26334-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2T8eCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA55 | accessdate=December 16, 2016 | page=55}}