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new generation discovers the joys of civic engagement
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By
Julia Scott
Every conceivable argument has been made for
youth to exercise their right to vote. And yet the numbers remain discouraging:
Only 42 percent of Americans aged 18-24 cast a ballot in the 2000 elections,
according to the Center
for Information & Research on Civic Learning.
On a brighter note, a recent study by Harvard University's Institute
of Politics found that 59 percent of college age youth said they were
planning on voting in the 2004 elections.
Of course, the work doesn't stop with voting. As the information below
will attest, new voters are using the upcoming elections as a springboard
into the world of politics.
NOTE:
The Collage Foundation is a nonpartisan 501 (c)(3) organization and
takes no position on candidates.
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"Mock
the Vote / College students are discouraged from voting by local election
boards"
Rolling Stone, May
5, 2004
College students who want to register to vote locally have been refused
by county officials.
"How to get stupid white men out of office"
WireTap, April 12,
2004
An interview with Adrienne Maree Brown of the League of Pissed Off Voters.
"Building
an army on wheels"
WireTap, April 26,
2004
The Oregon Bus Project hits the road with 4,000 volunteers and big political
ambitions.
"Dare
to vote, dare to win?"
WireTap, March 22,
2004
New Paltz, New York's 26 year-old Green mayor talks about building a
party from the ground up.
"If
you bump it, they will come"
WireTap, February
27, 2004
Does hip-hop have the potential to motivate voters alienated by the
mainstream?
"Rock
the vote? Maybe not"
Face-to-face contact boosts voter participation rates, while celebrity
messages may not be as effective.
"'Voting is for all people': web site spins
Urban Outfitters' irony"
MTV.com, February 23, 2004
An online clothing line crafts its own t-shirt in response to a controversial
Urban Outfitters tee featuring the slogan "Voting Is for Old People."
"Russell
Simmons to greet GOP convention with hip-hop march"
MTV.com, April 27,
2004
Def Jam records legend Russell Simmons' Hip-Hop Summit Action Network
will descend on the GOP convention with a message about youth power,
justice, and an end to poverty.
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Declare
Yourself
has a 2004 spoken word and music tour, useful voter tools, and cool
videos to watch on the website.
Collage and the Guerilla News Network have partnered with other organizations
to support
X the Box, a youth registration campaign.
The League of Pissed Off Voters is focusing on the "swing" states for
the upcoming elections. Record a rap on voting, host a "politics n'
pancakes" brunch, and check out their new book, How To Get Stupid White
Men Out of Office. www.indyvoter.org
Rock
the Vote leverages celebrity power to inspire new voters, and does
grassroots, face-to-face registration. Learn how to "do it on campus"
or join a RTV Street Team.
Want to register voters or work on a campaign near you? Election
Match will hook you up.
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In
1971, 18, 19 and 20 year-olds won the right to vote. People who want
to lower the voting age again argue that 16 year-olds can drive, so
why not vote? Others answer that 16 year-olds would turn out to vote
in even smaller numbers than 18 year-olds. Here's a snapshot of voting
age campaigns in Britain and the U.S.
"Blair
will give vote to 16-year-olds"
Independent (U.K.),
May 4, 2004
Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labour party would like to lower the voting
age in Britain to 16, defying an earlier decision by the Electoral Commission.
U.K. campaign website: Votes
at 16
"NYRA
strives to lower voting age"
The New Paltz Oracle
(NY), April 1, 2004
The National Youth Rights Association has led the fight in the U.S.
to lower the voting age, believing it will enhance teens' sense of responsibility.
"Should
14-year-olds vote? OK, how about a quarter of a vote?"
Christian Science Monitor, March 12, 2004
A California Senator proposes partial votes for 14 to 17 year-olds.
"Too
scared to let 'em vote"
YO! Youth Outlook,
March 29, 2004
One young writer argues in favor of lowering the voting age.
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Check
out youth voting stats and surveys on the Youth Vote Coalition's website
at: www.youthvote.org/info/factsheet.cfm
Get caught up with election news at MTV's flagship voter site, Choose
or Lose. www.mtv.com/chooseorlose/headlines
If you have a question about youth demographics, CIRCLE
has the answer. Be sure to check out their bulging database of cool
youth groups.
How are you going to know who to vote for until you figure out your
priorities? Public
Agenda's site helps you define where you stand on political and
social issues, from college costs to the environment.
The League of Pissed off Voters has published a new book, How
to Get Stupid White Men Out Of Office, with 20 recent case studies
of young activists who made a big difference in local elections.
Get a copy of Storming
the Polls: How to Vote Your Views and Change the Rules from WireTap
Magazine. Lots of cool interviews and original articles by the young
writers of WireTap.
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