The League of Young Voters PAC was started by Billy Wimsatt, hip hop activist and author, in 2003. Billy was an occasional voter who never really thought his vote mattered. But one November evening when Billy went to cast his ballot at the polls he stared up and down the ballot and realized that he was only prepared to check the box for Governor but had no idea who to vote for to be judge, controller or any of the local positions. Billy left the polls with a new idea and mission: voter guides for the hip-hop generation, made by young people for young people -- in every community across the country. No more giving away votes. It was time for young people to educate ourselves and make a youth voting blocs across the country.
By November 2004 the League of Young Voters PAC had 163 voter guides across the country in 44 states. The guides were distributed at clubs, concerts, coffeehouses -- everywhere people could be reached. In addition, the League developed theballot.org, an online site where anyone can create their own voter guide for their own community, reaching hundreds of thousands of people and helping them make informed votes. The League of Young Voters PAC has been credited for swinging key elections on the state and local level and building significant influence on national elections as well. In countless communities across the country the League's voter guides are trusted sources of information about the important choices in every election.
