If you are a young person or know a young person, sign up here
25 July 2024 at 17:38
More than 38,500 people registered to vote in the US in the 48 hours following President Biden's announcement Sunday - a nearly 700% increase in daily registrations (and more than the 34,000 who registered after Taylor Swift urged them to) - and younger voters, those between 18 and 34, make up 83% of them. The Alliance for Youth Action is here to help young people vote.
Low voter turnout - especially among young people - is often attributed to apathy. But as attorney Joyce Vance writes in her column today (sorry, Substack):
Low voter turnout - especially among young people - is often attributed to apathy. But as attorney Joyce Vance writes in her column today (sorry, Substack):
In 2020, pollster Nate Silver (I know, but bear with me) looked at reasons young people are less likely to vote and concluded, "Instead, younger people are much more likely than older people to report that they or members of their household have experienced barriers to voting, which suggests that they may genuinely find it more difficult to cast a ballot." Issues include standing in lines for over an hour, being unable to get off of work, missing voter registration deadlines, not receiving absentee ballots in time to vote, and an inability to find or physically access a polling place. Younger voters also cited day-of-election issues as impediments to voting, problems like arriving at the polls only to be told their name wasn't on the roll, having to vote a provisional ballot which takes extra time, lacking the correct ID, or being unable to get help filling out a ballot. The Harris campaign seems to be addressing those issues head on, and in an impressive way. They're holding a series of phone calls and Zoom meetings, some small and targeted, others enormous—like the call with 44,000 Black women that mobilized a tidal wave of support for the Vice President just as her campaign was getting started. Victor Shi [with the] Youth Team on the Biden campaign ... announced an "ALL YOUTH call" that will happen ... Thursday, July 25. There is a link anyone who wants to participate can use to sign up: https://joebiden.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5sZdd8wDTrWOpiy4qJWBcw#/registration Share it with all the young people you know. Something about the announcement that caught my eye was the message of inclusivity! It said, "Join us here. If you are a young person or know a young person in your life, sign up here. We have lots of ways for young people, no matter their age, to get involved with our efforts to turn out young voters." In other words, in the big tent of the Democratic Party, there is room for everyone. Whether you're young yourself or someone who cares about young people and young voters, join the call. There is work for you to do! There is work for all of us to do. Voting is habit-forming. Social scientists have documented that the more you and the people around you vote, the more likely you are to keep doing it. People can become "habitual voters." There is no time like this election to encourage people to get started down that path.The Alliance for Youth Action offers lots of ways to take action, including their VoteReady campaign, Campus Takeover, National Voter Education Week, Vote Early Day, and Power the Polls. More great voter registration organizations: Field Team 6 - a volunteer army doing partisan voter registration in battleground states and flippable districts League of Women Voters - a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights VoteRiders - provides voter ID assistance so that every American can cast a ballot that counts Vote.org - helps voters to register, verify their registration, request a mail-in ballot, sign up for election reminders, find their polling location and stay up to date on the laws or policies that affect their ability to vote Help new voters understand their choices: Blue Voter Guide - Blue Voter Guide helps you make quick, informed, pro-democracy choices of candidates and propositions by showing what's on your ballot, with endorsements from trusted, forward-looking organizations The For the People Act - HR 1 of 2021 and the updated version, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act - would introduce several measures to make it easier to register and easier to vote, especially for young people, including automatic registration (for example, when getting a state driver's license or state ID card). A Democratic majority in the House and Senate would make it easier to pass the popular bill. Still going strong after almost 35 years: Rock the Vote.