In the wake of Democrats’ gut-wrenching losses, progressive activists ask, ‘What now?’ 

In the aftermath of the presidential election, the analysis has begun in earnest. For supporters of progressive causes, this is a difficult time. Whether you’re feeling traumatized or energized, the inevitable question will emerge: “What now?’ 

A lot of smart, talented founders — those who have been in the game for years and some bright, energized up-and-comers — focused their efforts on voters of color, young voters, voters in urban areas, etc. As they piloted and scaled interesting ideas (early-morning voting parties, homecoming voter celebrations at historically black colleges and universities, concert sweepstakes), leading indicators showed impressive outputs. Predictions showed tens of thousands of votes would be moved in these areas, as many of these programs were beginning to gain traction.  

As the executive director of a Black voter turnout organization, my team and I lived this reality. We championed a number of programs over the last two years, but our signature initiative was integrating with Black cultural events, like festivals and concerts, to meet young, Black voters where they are and register them to vote. As our program went from dozens of sign-ups per day to several thousand, we saw outstanding early results. The nearly 200,000 Black voter registrations we achieved in the inaugural year of our program can only be classified as an outsized success. 

Before I go any further, let me offer some perspective on 2024. According to an analysis published by the New York Times, predominantly urban counties across the country saw nearly 1.7 million fewer votes cast. Cook County, Ill., for example, saw turnout drop by 20 percent. In a year that saw significant voter drop-off relative to the previous cycle, marginal gains were always destined to be overwhelmed.

It’s important to note that many of these programs may well have worked exactly as designed. We won’t know until the final voter data is available, but it is not unreasonable to think that tens of thousands of votes were indeed generated as a result of these efforts. In most modern election cycles, those are profound outcomes. But if it isn’t already plainly obvious, this year is proving to be different.  

That cannot minimize the work that was done. In historically Black counties and neighborhoods, I could see with my own eyes that we were having an impact. Our goal was increasing Black turnout, and everywhere we went, our outreach was being received with overwhelming enthusiasm. That’s not nothing. 

This last week was reflective for many who worked so hard to motivate specific audiences to register, to show up, to vote for a new way forward. The mood has been somber, conversations have been difficult, and there are a lot of unknowns. But one thing I do know is that when I took up this work years ago, I was never fighting for what America is — I was fighting for what America can be.

Since the country’s inception and through the Jim Crow era, the struggle for Black representation was being fought in the open, with the dead and dying Black bodies on public display. We saw it during Reconstruction, when Black voices like Hiram Revels, the first Black senator representing Mississippi, and Blanche Bruce, who also served in the Senate from Mississippi, and Robert Smalls, a congressman from South Carolina, finally rose in the hallowed halls of Congress, only to be silenced by a wave of violence and intimidation that birthed hateful propaganda like "The Birth of a Nation" and forced Blacks out of those sacred spaces.  

We never surrendered over those 250 years, and as despondent as I am now, I'm unwilling to surrender. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do next, but it won't be that. 

I don’t claim to have the answer to the question of “What now?” but I know we must capitalize on our innovations. We have to double down on promising tools and operators. To lose the impetus behind these talented founders and innovations now is to scrap years’ worth of learning.  

Breakthroughs have occurred, even if the headlines don’t reflect that fact. Founders, operators and funders must continue to nurture these ideas. They must also take time to personally heal. It may take a day, a week, a month or longer. As my physical therapist used to tell me, “let the pain be your guide.” And then, when you’re ready, engage. 

That, for me, is a definitive answer to the question of “what now?”  

Tamer Mokhtar is the executive director of All Americans Vote, a nonprofit focusing on nonpartisan efforts to engage America’s electorate by elevating turnout among young and diverse voters.