In November 2003 the Center for Voting and Democracy and a broad coalition of more than 75 pro-democracy organizations joined to organize a major conference in Washington, D.C. on the theme of "Claim Democracy: Securing, Enhancing and Exercising the Power of the Right to Vote." More than five hundred people people participating --representing more than 30 states and nearly all the participating organizations.

Claim Democracy is a moderated listserv (no more than two messages a day will be circulated except in extraordinary circumstances) that has been formed for people seeking to follow up on the spirit of this conference. It is designed in particular to allow participants to share concrete project ideas and tactical suggestions for local and state efforts to claim our democracy. These efforts include those to exercise the vote (such as encouraging voter turnout under current electoral rules), secure the vote (such as expanding the fanchise through reforms that increase voter registration and law changes to provice the right to vote to currently disfranchised popuations) and enhance the vote (such as full representation, campaign finance reform, instant runoff voting and the Voting Rights Act).