The League of Women Voters of the United States (LWV) launched Unite and Rise 8.5 to engage and mobilize 8.5 million voters through advocacy, civic education, and community engagement. LWV launched Unite and Rise 8.5 because our country is in a constitutional crisis — and it is up to all Americans, no matter their political leaning, to engage, mobilize, and push back against anti-democratic threats. 

According to Harvard political scientist Erica Chenoweth, 3.5 percent of a population can successfully pressure a government to accommodate their movement, leading to policy change. Approximately 245 million Americans were eligible to vote in the 2024 general election; 3.5 percent of these eligible voters is roughly 8.5 million voters. The League’s initiative will test the theory that it takes 3.5% of a population to protect democracies. 

The Unite and Rise 8.5 initiative is a part of LWV's Women Defend Democracy campaign.