Back when Moxy Vote was little more than an idea on our whiteboard, we drew up a list of influential people who might eventually be interested in this project. One of the names on the list was Eliot Spitzer.  Yes, THE Eliot Spitzer, former Governor and Attorney General of New York. In these roles, Spitzer had a history of fighting for the little guy’s right to an even playing field on Wall Street, which meshes nicely with our goals at Moxy Vote.

In a surprising twist, we rolled into the offices last week to find that Spitzer already knows what we’re up to, and he’s writing about it on Slate. Here’s his neat summary of the opportunity we face:

About 25 percent of shares are held by retail investors—owners like you and me, as opposed to mutual funds, pension funds, or hedge funds. This 25 percent block of votes presents a huge opportunity, because only about one-quarter of that block votes. In other words, 18 percent of all shareholders are simply sitting out. After the economic cataclysm of the past two years, one might think the opportunity to bring these new voters to the table—just as in the 2008 campaign, is real. How to do it is the issue.

Technology may be the answer. Several Web sites focused on corporate proxy voting are hoping to emulate the success of recent political campaigns.

He then goes on to describe Moxy Vote, ProxyDemocracy, and ShareOwners.org, each of whom has a different plan to rally the retail vote.

We too think the world will be a better place when people tune in and get involved.  We’re honored to be on your radar screen, Mr. Spitzer, and thanks to Slate for helping to spread the word.