What: YOUNG VOTER MOBILIZATION TACTICS. Report from YVS
When: June 2007
Link:
http://www.youngvoterstrategies.org/index.php?tg=fileman&idx=get&inl=1&id=1&gr=Y&path=YVS+Booklets&file=Young+Voter+Mobilization+Tactics+II.pdf
Reading Notes:
* 2006 turnout among 18-29yr olds +2million from 2002 levels
* turnout among all voters was up, but much more among youth
* 2nd election in a row with signif jump in young voter turnout
* young voters also increasing as share of the electorate. from 10 to 12%
* in 2004, the number of 18-29yr old voters rivaled the # of voters 65+ (20.1m vs. 23m)
in key races, the margin of victory was less than the increase in young voter turnout
* montana: jon tester defeated conrad burns by 3562. yv turnout was +39,106
* virgina: jim webb defeated george allen by 9329. yv turnout up 110,453
* missouri: claire mccaskill defeated jim talen by 48314. yv turnout up 108,269
yv increases in areas with:
* competitive races
* youth reg and mobilization drives
* partisan campaigns with targeted youth efforts
Size of millenial gen is: 42million today
"The sheer size of voting-age Millennial Generation citizens – 42 million today
and growing – combined with their increasing electoral participation shows
that campaigns looking to 2008 would do well to understand how to court and
mobilize this cohort."
"In November 2006, 35 U.S. House races were decided by fewer than 10,000 votes –
including 18 by fewer than 5,000 votes. Five U.S. Senate races came down to fewer
than 50,000 votes9, as did three gubernatorial races10, and 77 state legislative races
were decided by fewer than 100 votes11."
"Overall, 2006 youth outreach efforts proved that if you work the youth vote,
it works."
Tips:
* go to schools
* hit the hot spots
* utilize volunteers
* designate youth staff to coordinate
* make issues relevant
* work with existing groups and your party
* build and update your list
* register voters
* use facebook and myspace
- most useful to energize existing supporters
- less for engaging new or undecided voters
- best in conjunction with other offline efforts
"overall, most campaigns paid minimal
to no attention to the under-30 electorate."
"Young voters can certainly make or break close races today, but they
will also be each parties’ base voters 15 or 20 years down the road. Research shows
that partisanship develops during the youth vote years and that if your party
secures a young adults’ vote during their first few elections, they will likely become
a loyal voter for life12."
"Young adults prefer online outreach that gives them a chance to opt-in – like
joining your Facebook group or signing up for emails from your website – and
includes substantive information.Use the Internet to communicate your issues
positions, upcoming events, election information, and specifics on how and
where to vote, like polling place information. But beware of using politicized
spin – this generation can see right through that."
* example of a group who used MySpace & FB to IDENTIFY potential supporters based on their self identified political views - and then went out to recruit those people
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