-For Immediate Release-
For More Information:
Manny Rin, Student PIRGs New Voters Project Director, 925-234-1457, [email protected]
Ross Sherman, Communications Associate, 207-749-2660, [email protected]
DENVER — As voter registration numbers plummet across the country because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a powerhouse lineup of artists, activists, influencers and elected officials will kick off Democracy Summer 2020 Thursday evening at a virtual event. The effort, led by Rock the Vote in partnership with the Student PIRGs, Voto Latino Foundation, When We All Vote, March For Our Lives and many more, aims to register and mobilize 200,000 new voters over the summer.
COVID-19 poses huge challenges to normal voter registration efforts. With many colleges and universities opting for online learning this fall, the typical campus registration drives will need to move online. The Student PIRGs, Rock the Vote and campus partners around the country partnered to create StudentVote.org, a one-stop online voter registration resource for students to register and learn important information about the election. The website has already registered over 100,000 students.
“COVID-19 is changing the way we participate in democracy, and we have to adapt quickly to ensure young voters turn out to vote. Reaching students online is always important, but during a pandemic, it’s necessary,” said Manny Rin, director of the New Voters Project. “Whether it’s registering and educating their peers by email, text message, social media — or online tools like StudentVote.org — students can and will make their voices heard this year.”
Young people (18-29 year-olds) are the largest and most diverse group of potential voters in the country, representing 37 percent of the eligible population of voters. But the youth voice is often underrepresented. In 2016, 41.6 percent of eligible young voters cast a ballot, compared to an average of 61.4 percent for the entire population of voters nationwide.
“We are excited to be a part of The Democracy Summer’s nationwide effort to turn out students,” said Sithara Menon, CALPIRG student leader at UCLA, “As college students, we can choose to let other people make decisions that impact our future, or we can vote for a future that works for us. That’s what we are doing with the Student PIRGs — making our voices heard.”
The Student PIRGs New Voters Project has already started mobilizing the youth vote around the country. So far this summer, over 200 student leaders in 15 states have been spending their summer break registering, educating and contacting thousands of students about voting in state and local elections. Students have organized online events with secretaries of state, contacted over 2,000 peers through phone and text messages, and worked with over 100 college administrators to use online registration tools on their campus to help students vote this year. The Democracy Summer launch is the first step to energize young people around the country to participate in this election.
“This is no ordinary year,” said Carolyn DeWitt, president of Rock the Vote. “Rock the Vote was built to support young people and in this moment when young people are showing their power and demanding action, we are honored to launch Democracy Summer. Artists, influencers, elected officials and activists are joining together to help sustain the fire lit by America’s youth and build a movement to the polls to elect leaders who will take action.”
Organizations joining the Student PIRGs in the coalition include: 88 Rising, The Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values, APIA Vote, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Brady Community Justice Action Fund, Drag Out the Vote, Emerge America, Fair Fight Action, Generation Progress, Get Lit, IGNITE, The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights, Mississippi Votes, Muslim Public Affairs Council, National Action Network, National Coalition Black Civic Participation, National Congress of American Indians, and People For the American Way.
These groups join a robust coalition of: Rock the Vote, Voto Latino Foundation, When We All Vote and March For Our Lives, ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, American Constitution Society, The Andrew Goodman Foundation, CIRCLE, Generation Citizen, Music Forward Foundation, National Disability Rights Network, Students Learn Students Vote and Student PIRGs.
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For more information on this effort, text ‘SUMMER’ to 788-683 or visit www.democracysummer.org.
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The Student PIRGs voter registration and turnout effort is part of its New Voters Project campaign, one of the largest nonpartisan youth voter mobilization efforts in the country.
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