WHAT IS UNITE AND RISE 8.5?

Unite and Rise 8.5 is an initiative of the League of Women Voters to mobilize 8.5 million people using the power of voter engagement as a cornerstone of our democracy. 

Is our country really in a constitutional crisis? What does that mean? Watch the video.

WHY 8.5 MILLION PEOPLE?

The number 8.5 million is the estimated number of voters it would take to bring about change through nonviolent protest. This is based on the following finding from the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights: 

“Nonviolent protests are twice as likely to succeed as armed conflicts . . . and those engaging a threshold of 3.5% of the population have never failed to bring about change.” 

According to the University of Florida approximately 245 million Americans were eligible to vote in the 2024 general election. According to the above research, if 3.5% of these eligible voters — 8,575,000 people — engage in nonviolent protests, we will bring about meaningful change. 

In Colorado 4,431,349 people are eligible voters; 3.5 percent of us is 155,017.
 
WHAT IS THE PLAN?

Unite and Rise 8.5 began in May 2025 and showcases the many ways voters can drive change through advocacy, mobilization, civic education, and engagement. We need you to be a part of this movement and help us grow this network of 8.5 million people committed to defending our democracy.

Together, we will unite and rise nationwide, from the streets to the courts to the polls, to defend a democracy that is by and for the people.

Unite & Rise 8.5 aims to build a movement of 8.5 million individuals to unite and rise up against the anti-democratic actions of this administration.

Work with our Partners.  We will not do this important work alone.  Some of our locally recognized Partners are AAUW, CIRC, El Comite, and Indivisible. Click here for a more complete list of our partners.  

For more information about our partners and how you can help, contact our Advocacy and Action Director:  advocacy@lwvbc.org.  

I want to know more!

View our YouTube playlist to see how we can take everyday action to defend democracy.

Our U+R Team welcomes questions and suggestions!
Contact our team leader, Rionda Osman.

Become a League Member! When you join the Boulder County LWV you are also a member of the LWV of Colorado and the LWV of the US.

Volunteer.  We can use your help with candidate forums and ballot issue presentations. 

• Help us set up our tables and distribute information at registration drives and other community outreach events. 
• Crunch numbers with our Membership team. 
• Help our teams that raise funds and organize educational events. 
• Join our issue teams to learn more about their work and help them take action. 
• Contact our membershipdirector@lwvbc.orgto learn more.  

Know Your Rights in Colorado

Boulder County DA Michael Doughtery has reissued guidance on your rights in Colorado. To download the full document, click here.

As communities across the country continue to voice valid concerns about ICE, it is crucial that people understand their rights in Colorado and the many ways we can protect ourselves and our immigrant communities. Every person has constitutional rights, regardless of immigration status.

Those rights include:

• You are permitted to film and voice record ICE activity.

• You have the right to remain silent and do not have to answer questions about your immigration status.

• In Boulder County, local law enforcement officers will not ask any questions about one's immigration status and, if it is learned, will not report it to ICE.

• You do not have to open your door unless ICE presents a federal warrant approved by a judge. Civil immigration detainers are not warrants under Colorado law (C.R.S § 13-1-403). To determine if the document is a warrant, look for the word “warrant” and the name and signature of a federal judge.

• If you encounter ICE, you can ask if you are free to leave. If the answer is yes, you may calmly walk away.

• If you witness misconduct by ICE or other federal agents, you can report it to 911, your local District Attorney's Office or the Attorney General’s Office. o District Attorney 303-441-3700 o Colorado Attorney General’s Office 720-508-6000 or online at www.coag.gov

• Colorado law prohibits civil immigration arrests at courthouses, probation offices, medical facilities or schools (C.R.S § 13-1-403 and 13-1-402)

• If you are engaging in a protest or encounter, please do so safely. Do not obstruct or put yourself and others at risk. You can, and should, document and report any misconduct.

• If there is an incident in Boulder County involving ICE, there will be a full investigation and charges brought for any illegal activity. No one is above the law.

• The Boulder County District Attorney’s Office offers Know Your Rights trainings on the role of ICE, legal protections for immigrants, how to protest safely, the authority of local law enforcement and prosecutors. To inquire about these presentations, please email boulderda@bouldercounty.gov.

Holding Power Accountable

• Tell your Elected Officials to oppose the new (2026) SAVE Act.  Suggested message here.
• Tell your  U. S. Senators to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025. 
• Raise your voice about illegal deportations: join mobilizations around immigrant rights and due process.