)
)
)
)
Posts Tagged ‘Rock the Vote’
Young voters poll: Making sense of the numbers
September 20th, 2010
As you heard on this blog, last week Rock the Vote released a new poll on young voters and their thoughts on the midterm elections. The poll indicated some great news – 77% of young people plan to vote this fall and 83% of our generation believes we have the power to change this country. Still, it’s important we take a look beyond the numbers and think about what they really mean. Rock the Vote President Heather Smith did just that in a piece for The Huffington Post, putting the poll in perspective and adding some context. As Smith put it:
“It’s not 2008. There’s no presidential race to unite the country’s focus and galvanize sweeping momentum. If you asked a young person how he or she feels heading into the midterm elections, you’d probably still hear the traces of optimism that characterized that historic election. This time, however, the response would also have a trace of cynicism. You’d hear frustration — if sometimes unreasonable — about the pace of change over the last two years. But you’d also hear conviction that 2010 is a new opportunity to prove that young people remain deeply invested and committed to shaping the future they’ll inherit.”
We know young people are ready to seize on this opportunity and shape our future. We see it in the field, from college campuses to community events, and online in our video contest. We know that the polls are right – our generation is ready to vote this fall.
|
Comments Off |
Rock the Vote poll: Young people plan to vote again
September 15th, 2010
Today, Rock the Vote released a new poll on young voters and the 2010 midterm elections that sort of makes you question who the New York Times keeps talking to. Rock the Vote’s findings indicate that 77 percent of young voters plan to vote this fall and 83 percent of 18-29 year-olds believe our generation has the power to change the country. This confirms what Vote Again partner organizations are seeing in the field every day: young people are still energized and optimistic about voting this fall. For a breakdown of the bipartisan-conducted poll, click here, and to see the data for yourself, click here.
|
Comments Off |
Before The Polls Open: The Real Story of 2010
August 24th, 2010
The media’s been buzzing about the 2010 midterm elections. While voter turnout typically decreases among all age cohorts in midterm cycles, this year reporters seem particularly adamant about emphasizing the decrease among young voters, before the polls have even opened. How do we prove them wrong, aside from voting again in 2010? Well, we push back with stories based on our experiences to show that we are still enthusiastic, optimistic, and value the right to participate in our democracy.
Heather Smith, executive director of Rock the Vote, recently outlined some of the media’s negative narratives on the youth vote and responded to them with what she’s seeing – a huge voting bloc just waiting for candidates to campaign to them. As Smith put it:
“It is no coincidence that youth engagement reached record highs in 2008. The candidates recognized their power to swing an election and campaigned directly to them.” (Read the whole piece on Huffington Post here).
Here’s the thing–youth turnout has been steadily increasing for the last decade and while reporters may be writing the youth vote story before a single polling site opens, ultimately, we’ll be determining what they write once the polls close.
|
Comments Off |
Strategists from the Left and Right Discuss Youth Vote Tactics
July 26th, 2010
by Tobin Van Ostern, Campus Progress
A few weeks ago Campus Progress, Rock the Vote, American University, and Student PIRGs hosted a day-long nonpartisan training for candidates, campaign staff, and media on how to effectively engage, utilize, and mobilize young voters. Attendees learned the characteristics of the Millennial Generation (those born after 1980), the issues that matter most to them, and the best ways to engage them in the political process. Participants attended workshops and discussions that focused on outreach, issues, branding, and fundraising.
The closing panel in the afternoon, Millennials and the Midterms, was moderated by Erica Williams (Progress 2050). Panelists included Steve Hildebrand (Fmr. Deputy Campaign Manager, Obama for America) and Robert Willington (Fmr. Senior Strategist, Scott Brown for Senate). The panel discussed whether young voters could be won or lost by the quality and quantity of a campaign’s efforts to engage them. Discussion also focused on what candidates and parties have done so far to mobilize young voters for the potentially game changing midterm elections, and what more can be done.
Check out some highlights from this closing panel below, or watch the full panel on CSPAN: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/294166-1
|
Comments Off |
Vote Again 2010
July 13th, 2010
By Tom Yarnell, Rock the Vote
Cross Posted on Rockthevote.com.
To all the first-time voters in the 2008 election: Rock the Vote and over 30 youth organizations want you to vote again in 2010! Check out voteagain2010.com to hear from your peers on issues you care about and learn how you can get involved. You can even tell your friends to vote again in 2010 right there on the site.
Sara Haile-Mariam, a communications and outreach associate at Campus Progress, really believes in the idea behind the new website.
Here’s what Sara had to say about Voteagain2010.com:
“This site will make the case for midterm participation based on a simple truth, While members of Congress have the power to vote for or against legislation– we have the power to vote for or against every one of them. That’s a power that we can’t let go to waste… which is why we must vote again in 2010.”
Click here to check out Sara’s kick off Campus Progress’ 2010 National Conference.
Others organizations involved with Vote Again 2010 include: the League of Women Voters, the Energy Action Coalition, Voto Latino, and many more. There are just too many to list here, but we want you to join us! There will be opportunities to offer your input on everything leading up to the midterm elections and we’ll keep you up to date on unique events like Trick or Vote, a nationwide, costumed get-out-the-vote canvas held on Halloween. We’ll also have some more practical resources that can help you register to vote and find your polling place.
With Vote Again 2010, youth organizations are joining together to accomplish one goal – to make sure the voice of every young voter is heard on November 2nd.
Share the site today and help us get every young person to vote again in 2010.
|
Comments Off |
