March Matters Launches Nonpartisan Effort to Increase Texas Primary Turnout

Free communications toolkit helps businesses, nonprofits, media and community groups encourage Texas to vote in March

AUSTIN, TX, UNITED STATES, January 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- With just six weeks until the March 3 primary election, a new statewide effort is working to help more Texans take part in the election that decides most state leadership races. March Matters has launched a nonpartisan communications campaign offering free, ready-to-use tools for businesses, nonprofits, chambers, faith organizations, and community groups to encourage voter participation.

The goal is ambitious but straightforward: increase Texas primary turnout by 250,000 voters this year and by one million over the next decade.

Texas continues to rank near the bottom nationally in voter participation, despite being the fastest-growing state and the eighth-largest economy in the world. In 2024, fewer than 14 percent of Texas’ voting-age population participated in the primary election. In 2022, 146 of 150 Texas House races were effectively decided in March rather than November, due to districts heavily leaning toward one party or the other.

Why March Matters in Texas

A March Matters analysis of Texas election data highlights why a campaign to encourage more Texans to vote in the March primary is so important:

● Texas ranks among the lowest states nationally in voter turnout.
● Only 14% of Texas’ voting-age population voted in the 2024 primary election.
● In 2022, 146 of 150 Texas House races were effectively decided in March, not November.
● In 2024, Texans age 50 and older made up roughly one-third of the population but accounted for more than 80% of primary voters.
Sources for the data: Texas Secretary of State, Ryan Data and Texas Tribune

“This campaign exists because the future of Texas is too important to leave to a tiny fraction of voters,” said Marjorie Clifton, March Matters co-founder. “Millions of registered Texas voters are busy and often unaware that March, not November, is when the real decisions are made. We want to make it easy for any business or organization to remind people of that simple truth.”

To support organizations across the state, March Matters rebuilt its entire toolkit based on employer and association feedback. Available at MarchMatters.org, the free toolkit includes weekly emails, Canva graphics, intranet content, social media posts, and simple explainers on how primary elections work. The materials are modeled after successful national engagement efforts like Giving Tuesday.

“We built March Matters around a simple truth: Texans are far more likely to act when information comes from organizations and people they already trust,” said Deirdre Walsh, IGC Institute founder and March Matters co-founder. “We designed the March Matters Toolkit to make it simple for busy business and community leaders to share vetted, nonpartisan resources with their networks, so more people participate in the March primary elections.”

The launch of March Matters is timed to give organizations, businesses and media outlets several weeks to prepare messages in advance of early voting, which begins February 17. March Matters will also serve as a connector across Texas, gathering and sharing nonpartisan voter engagement efforts organized by chambers, civic groups, employers, and community organizations.

“If we want a strong future for Texas, with a competitive workforce, healthy communities, and a stable economy, participation in the March primary is essential,” said Merrill Davis, March Matters co-founder. “Chambers, employers, and media organizations are uniquely positioned to move the needle. March Matters gives them free tools that help remind Texans that voting in March is when their voice truly counts.”

The initiative is supported by philanthropy and civic partners, including the IGC Institute and Texas Impact, and is not funded by political parties, candidates, or PACs. The campaign's organizers note that Texas is growing rapidly and that decisions made in this primary will shape the next decade and beyond.

“March Matters will be a gamechanger for churches and other local faith groups that are committed to voter turnout but worry about crossing legal lines—our resources are thoroughly vetted and reliable, so faith communities can use them with confidence,” said Texas Impact Executive Director Bee Moorhead.

“Texas is full of people who care deeply about their communities, yet our voting numbers don’t reflect that spirit,” said Renee Lafair, March Matters co-founder. “This campaign is about one simple message: your voice matters. And March is when it really counts.”

Businesses, chambers, associations, faith communities, and individuals are encouraged to sign up, download the free toolkit, and share reminders with their networks.

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About March Matters
March Matters (marchmatters.org) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit communications campaign designed to increase voter participation in Texas primary elections. Originally created in 2018, the effort has been rebuilt for 2026 to help employers, organizations, and communities share clear, trusted reminders about the importance of voting in the March primary. March Matters does not endorse candidates or take positions on issues, and all materials are free for the public to download and use.

Media Contacts:
Merrill Davis, 713-213-7297
Email: merrill@marchmatters.org

Merrill Davis
March Matters
+1 713-213-7297
merrill@marchmatters.org

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