Civic Engagement

Voting is just one part of being part of an engaged citizen. It is well known that communities with high voter turnout receive better public services. In 2005 MPDC created RoxVOTE to increase voter participation. MPDC is the lead partner in RoxVOTE, a non-partisan organization consisting of seven organizations working in Roxbury. The following electoral results demonstrate our impact: 

• Roxbury's voter turnout in 2006 increased 19.5% compared to the 2002 election (the most recent comparable election year). In Madison Park’s five "core" precincts around Dudley Square, turnout increased 23.7%.
   
• Turnout for the presidential election increased 23.7% in Dudley Square from 2004, compared with a 14% increase city-wide. In the two precincts that comprise Orchard Gardens/Commons voter turnout increased 33% over 2004.

Increased voter turnout now has to translate into more effective public services in Roxbury. In 2009, MPDC was invited to join the Community Engagement Initiative (CEI), funded by the Boston Foundation, Access Strategies Fund, Hyams Foundation, and the Herman and Frieda Miller Foundation. Participation in CEI will allow MPDC to expand upon the success of RoxVOTE and use the momentum generated from elections to advocate for change year-round.

MPDC is part of a small group selected by the Massachusetts Census Equity Initiative to increase census participation from hard to count communities. Residents’ widespread participation in the 2010 Census-taking will be a concrete and important step on Roxbury’s continued path of greater political impact.