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Archive for November, 2010
Onward!
November 8th, 2010
With this election season over, we here at Vote Again2010 would like to express our gratitude to everyone who participated – from our partner organizations to our video contest entrants to all those who made their voices heard at the ballot box.
We were overwhelmed by the creativity and passion showcased in submissions to our video contest. These young voters embraced the opportunity to inspire others and we hope they will continue to do so for many elections to come. You can see for yourself by checking out the winning video and some of the finalists right here.
We also want you to know that the work started here does not end here. All of the Vote Again 2010 partners will keep working to engage young people in the political process and you can check out their sites for resources and opportunities to volunteer.
Once again, thank you for your participation. We’re a generation that’s quickly expanding and our power at the polls and in our communities is unquestionable.
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Rock the Vote says candidates must do more
November 3rd, 2010
When you reach out to young people, they respond. Candidates must realize this and directly address the issues of the generation that will shape this country’s future.
That’s the message Rock the Vote delivered in its post-Election Day press release, which noted how candidates failed to build upon the enthusiasm from recent elections and reach out to young people.
“With high unemployment and rising personal – and national – debt, young Americans face real challenges and what they saw from candidates and outside interest groups was largely disconnected and irrelevant to their lives and concerns,” said Rock the Vote President Heather Smith. “It wasn’t just that campaigns didn’t pay enough attention to the generation that will shape our country’s future; what they did actively turned off people looking for solutions. The partisan bickering and negative ads targeted to older, angrier voters simply does not motivate youth participation.”
Rock the Vote found that in those precincts where they targeted young voters and engaged them in the political process, it made a significant difference. The organization had hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers making phone calls and knocking on doors right up until Election Day. Rock the Vote plans to continue its efforts to get campaigns to pay attention to young people through a combination of the best digital tools and field work.
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Young voters respond to outreach
November 3rd, 2010
Today, the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) released its first numbers on young voters and their participation in yesterday’s midterm elections. While CIRCLE found that young voter turnout was comparable to recent midterm elections, they also found that young voter turnout went up in states where Vote Again 2010 partners were actively engaging young people.
An estimated 20.4% of those under age 30 voted in yesterday’s election compared with the 23.5% who voted in 2006. However, in many precincts where organizations were on the ground registering young voters and making get out the vote contacts, the number of votes cast by young people increased.
This confirms that when you reach out to them, young voters are ready to embrace becoming active participants in the political process. Vote Again 2010 partners and youth-serving organizations around the country will continue to build upon the proven success of their field models and digital strategies to work towards a future where young people are included in the conversation every election cycle.
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VOTE TODAY!
November 2nd, 2010
Election Day is finally here! If you have any questions on where to vote, how late polling locations are open, or what to bring, visit Rock the Vote’s Electionland or e-mail contact@voteagain2010.com. We’re here to help however we can!
Make your voice heard today. Get out to the polls now and vote again in 2010!
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The Winner of the Vote Again 2010 Video Contest…
November 1st, 2010
In their submission “Action 2010,” California College of the Arts film students Ted Hayden and Sunday Wang show a young voter on a symbolic journey toward mailing in her absentee ballot, passing by images that evoke the issues her vote will impact. In a surreal visual style, the video follows the protagonist through an open field as she faces characters representing issues like gay marriage, the economy, and war.
“We received so many great submissions for this contest and it was very hard to pick a winning video,” said filmmaker Jason Pollock, who judged the contest finalists. “We’re very proud of the content this contest produced. Young people were fired up in this mid-term election and the ‘Vote Again 2010’ campaign proved it.”
In addition to the winning submission, there were many more showcasing the creativity and civic engagement of young people across the country.
One runner-up video entitled “You Vote, I Vote,” featured a song about voting to the tune of Justin Bieber’s, “You Smile, I Smile.” Other finalists included a young voter who rallied his peers around passing legislation that would help facilitate peace in East Africa, a young voter making a clever comparison between voting and virginity, and a young voter honoring those who fought for voter enfranchisement throughout history.
Thanks to everyone who entered the contest and shared with us and your peers why you’re voting again in 2010. We’ll see you all at the polls tomorrow!
Check out the winner and some of the runners-up below.
THE WINNING VIDEO
“Action 2010″:
RUNNERS-UP:
“You Vote, I Vote”:
“Your Voice Matters”:
The voting and virginity video, “My First Time”:
The voter enfranchisement history video, “They Say”:
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Find your polling place with Google Election Center
November 1st, 2010
There are a number of ways to find your polling place, but now it’s even easier with the Google Election Center, a tool from the Voting Information Project. With Google Election Center you simply type in your home address to see a Google Map with the polling location closest to you. The site offers directions to the polling place, links to your Secretary of State’s website to find more voting information, the state’s voter hotline, and a list of statewide and local candidates.
You can also share the election center tool with others by grabbing the embed code and putting it on your own website.
With tools like these, the Voting Information Project hopes to answer the three with which they believe voters most often struggle:
- How do I register or find out if I’m registered?
- Where do I vote?
- What’s on the ballot?
If you or someone you know still needs to answer these questions, give Google Election Center a try now. Make sure you’re ready to get out to the polls this Tuesday, November, 2nd.
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