Your Turn to Debate

OK, all of us watched the debate tonight and have our own opinions, but we want yours. Kerry and Bush went at it on foreign policy and definitely demonstrated what exactly they stand for and where they differ.

What’d ya think?

Hit us up at blog@rockthevote.com. We’ll put the best emails from both sides of the debate up on the site. Make sure you include your name and where you’re from.

It’s your election, so we’re turning the Blog over to you for a bit. Go nuts! (OK, not too nuts.)

The fight for voting rights continues for students today

According to an editorial in yesterday’s New York Times, barriers to student voting are common and complex. We couldn’t agree more and are thrilled to see the powers-that-be taking to our cause.

The attention comes after a local TV station in Tucson, Arizona, reported that students who register to vote at the University of Arizona “may have unintentionally committed a felony.” (Free registration req’d.)

The controversial broadcast featured Chris Roads, a local Pima Countyregistrar, who stated "If they're only here to attend school and theintention is to immediately return to where they came from when school's over then they are not residents of the state of Arizona for voting purposesand they cannot vote here."

By law in Arizona, you are eligible to register to vote if you are a U.S.citizen, at least 18 years of age, and you live in the state for 29 daysprior to the general election. Chris Roads failed to make this point in hison-air interview; his supervisor Ann Rodriguez had to step in and clean up the mess with a press release clarifying the facts.

With all the uproar, the TV station, a Fox affiliate, is backtracking.Falling short of an apology, Fox now says that their sources were wrong. (Registration is also required.) But serious damage has already been done, as the station ran the story multiple times.

The reporter, Natalie Tejeda, gets the prize for being outrageously stupid--so stupid, in fact, that we really question her motives. And by not going out of his way to shoot down an obviously bad story in the making, Chris Roads is equally guilty in this bizarre web of young voter intimidation.

With issues at the forefront of the presidential campaign whose implicationscould last for decades--the war on terrorism, the makeup of the Supreme Court, health care reform--young people have more reason than ever to fightfor their right to vote.


Alex Sherman

Over 900K Rocking the Vote

Just letting everyone know we’ve busted the 900,000 mark. More than 750,000 have used our website to fill out vote registration forms and we have another 150,000+ from our ground efforts. But we’re not done. If you haven’t registered yet, what are you waiting for? If you have, make sure all your friends and family members and pretty much everyone you know hops on and registers to vote.

Only a month left, but we’re going to make this election about us!

Draft Your Friends

As it is, our military is stretched almost to the breaking point trying to maintain troop levels in Iraq and around the world. If civil war erupts in Iraq, or if Pakistan, North Korea or other nations begin to pose new military threats, how would we meet the demand for troops?

Did you know that:

It would only take two to three days for Congress and the President to authorize a draft and set the Selective Service System's plans in motion?

That 20-year-olds would be the first to be inducted?

That women are very likely to be included in the next draft?

It's up to us to educate ourselves. In the event of a draft, we won't have much time to form an opinion. And with just 34 days left until the election, we need to take a stand now by registering to vote.

Click here to get the facts about a potential draft, and to find out what you can do.

If you Register for the Draft, then why not Register to Vote?

The Draft. It’s been gone since Vietnam. But we are hearing it from the politicians like never before. John Kerry says we can expect a draft if the President gets re-elected. Republicans claim that it is the Democrats who really want the draft.

As President Bush and Senator Kerry are struggling to create a workable strategy for the future of Afghanistan and Iraq, troop commitments are increasingly a volatile issue. Army officials are increasingly concerned about “running out of crucial specialists in the Reserves who can be involuntarily called up for duty.”

Since more than 75% of all US casualties in Iraq are between 18 and 30 years old, the draft certainly lends credence to saying, “Vote or Die.”

The draft ended in 1973. Since 1980, however, all males age 18-25 have been required to register with the Selective Service, the organization that implements a draft when it happens.

If the government is going to make you, your friends, your family, register for the draft, then you sure as hell better register to vote. It’s the only way you get to talk back—if you don’t vote, your opinion really doesn’t matter to the politicians.

Can you really afford to take that chance?


Alex Sherman

Government Loophole Inflates Profits from Student Loans

At a time when college tuition is at an all-time high and growing exponentially, it’s downright appalling to hear what the US General Accounting Office had to say yesterday about the Department of Education.

Apparently, while you and your family have been struggling to pay college tuition, the lenders – the large banks the government borrows from to give to you – have been scoring excessive profits on those government student loans.

Whenever you borrow money, you need to pay that money back plus interest. Well, the most common interest rate on student loans is now about 3.5%. That’s what you pay to the government.

But what is the Education Department giving to the banks? A whopping 9.5%. So you’re paying the government 3.5% and the government is paying the banks 9.5%.

Makes sense, right?

Well, according to the GAO (PDF) (which is the government’s own watchdog on these kind of things), the folks at the Dept. of Education knew about this practice and even possibly went out of their way to ignore the enormous discrepancy so they could keep filling the lenders’ pockets.

So lets get this straight. Students are in record debt. They are taking on more loans than ever--nearly $19,000 for the average borrower. The government, meanwhile, instead of seeking ways to help young people with their debt, is shoveling money as fast as it can to the loan providers.

That’s nice. Real nice.

Make sure you let the candidates know that you want a government that puts students first.

Well that's what *we* heard....

TOTALLY DEBATEABLE

So after intense negotiations, the candidates have come to an agreement on the schedule and format (which involves a strict ban on leg stretching!) of the debates. And don’t miss this, in each debate, according to the agreement, "the candidates may not ask each other direct questions, but may ask rhetorical questions." Is a rhetorical question a question? Is a debate debateable?

We know YOU were planning on watching the debates, but apparently fewer people are watching the debates than ever. Why? Ask Open Debates. Rock the Vote President Jehmu Greene adds her voice to a chorus of others on the issue. Personally, we blame the dopey slackers...

And now that the candidates have taken their sweet time to reach an agreement on the debates, they want to rush the debate commission to an agreement of terms. However, the commission gives them a taste of their own medicine…

And Missouri isn’t quite ready to celebrate their almost-confirmed debate.

THERE'S NEVER A TICKET SCALPER AROUND WHEN YOU NEED ONE...

To get into the debate at the University of Miami, you have to write an essay! A drag? Maybe, but it's on a topic that's near and dear to our hearts at Rock the Vote.

Want a ticket to a debate that isn't confirmed yet? Face value may mean facing hours of community service. You gotta earn a ticket to this show!

Can't get in that way? You may be able to at least get closer to the action than your average channel-surfer. Arizona State is looking for a few good 18-and-ups! Get involved and volunteer to help out during the debate! (You mean work for free? That’s right! You don’t have to pay a thing!)

-Aaron Coles

woah woah woah...back the truck up!

If you look at the percentages, sure, older Americans vote at a higher rate than young people. 68% of 64-year-olds voted in the 2000 election compared with 38% of 22-year-olds.

But that doesn’t mean young people aren’t a powerful voting bloc.

Look at the hard numbers. Only 33,000 more 64-year-olds than 22-year-olds voted in November 2000.

There’s a lot more young voters than you might think.

Check out the huge reserve of young voters (PDF) waiting to be tapped for the election. That is all “Pure Potential.” And everyone’s prepping for the surge of young people heading for the polls this November.


Alex

MTV’s PRElection Starts Today

For the last few months, MTV.com has been holding registration for their PRElection. You need to check this thing out—and vote in it. In mid-October, MTV is going to release the results of the PRElection—possibly indicating which way the youth vote will go on Election Day.

For people who register for the PRElection, MTV hooks you up with email updates about the candidates and relevant election issues, surveys and polls for you to fill out about what matters to you, and opportunities for prizes and free music downloads.

Not only can you register for the PRElection, but we set it up with MTV so you can also register for the presidential election with the same form. Rock the Vote has been a partner for this campaign since the beginning.

Well, thousands have registered, and PRElection time is here. As of today, if you’re registered on MTV.com, you can go ahead and vote in the PRElection. They plan to post the results in mid-October, and those results are sure to get some attention from the candidates as they start to get nervous about which way the youth vote will swing. They realize an “endorsement” from PRElection voters will go a long way toward reaching the growing number of young people who intend to vote in November.

Together with MTV, we’re making sure the youth voice gets louder and louder as we near the election.

Young Voters Forcing Candidates to Take Notice

In 1992, there was a record turnout for young people – more than 50% showed up at the polls. Those numbers declined in ’96 and 2000, and as young people stopped paying attention to the politicians, the politicians returned the favor.

Why should they pay attention to young people? They weren’t voting anyway.

Meanwhile, college tuition shot through the roof while grants fell through the floor…

Well, you guys are changing things. And fast.

According to recent polls, young voter registration – especially in the all-important battleground states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, and New Hampshire – is on pace to reach or even surpass the record-setting highs hit in ’92.

If registration hits a peak, voter turnout is sure to do the same. So you are part of history in the making.

As you will see from the story, Rock the Vote is on a real tear with voter registration. We have registered hundreds of thousands of voters this year and continue to work towards registering thousands more. More on that soon.

Registering to vote is not only about making your choice on Election Day. When potential voting “blocs” register together as a movement or trend, the candidates have to start paying attention. If you all keep it up, they will start talking about our struggles with college debt, unemployment and uninsurance. We can make the politicians pay attention.

This election, the youth movement’s voice could be at its most powerful.

Kerry’s campaign is rolling a bus tour through college campuses, and the Bush campaign’s web site even has a blog written by the Bush twins. Granted, their bus tours and blogs don’t have Paris Hilton and Snoop Dogg, but we encourage you check them out and find out where they want to take this country.

If you haven’t registered yet, make sure you check the deadlines. Most states have deadlines and if you miss them, you can’t vote. (We think this is total B.S.— mandatory advance voter registration prevents voting—but that is for another time and place.)

You can fill out your voter registration form on our website. All you have to do is print it, sign it, lick it and mail it—before the deadline.

If you already registered, make sure all your friends have too.

And don’t forget, on Election Day, the work is only half done. The next task is making them respond to the agenda afterwards. So stick around while we push our elected officials to raise the age of eligibility for family health insurance plans and replace college loans with grants.

SEIU knows how to Rock the Vote

Today, we have a special blogger: Andy Stern, president of the Services Employees International Union (SEIU). With 1.7 million members, SEIU is our country’s largest labor union.

What is a union? In a union, people join together to negotiate with their employer for safe working conditions and fair compensation—under the theory that it is easier to get a raise if everyone asks together. And they’re right. Union members make more money and get better benefits. Unions also collect dues, sort of like the AARP or the National Rifle Association. They use that money to hire their negotiators and union organizers and also to push the government on the “working family” agenda.

There’s an old saying that without unions, there would be no “weekend.” It is also true that when Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King went to Memphis where he was assassinated, he was there to help organize a union.

This year, Rock the Vote has partnered with SEIU and its campaign, Americans for Health Care. Why? Because SEIU/Americans for Health Care supports our agenda of improving health care for young adults—they want to help. We’re honored.

Unions represent people from many walks of life. Basketball players and referees have a union. So do teachers, firefighters, and government workers.

SEIU represents people who perform “services,” including nurses, doctors, social service workers, building cleaners, librarians, head start employees, lab technicians, nurse assistants, and more. It’s a diverse population. For many, joining SEIU is their way into the middle class.

So, Andy Stern is a cool guy and we asked him to post a blog so we could introduce SEIU to our friends at Rock the Vote.

Check it out:

An Open Letter from Andy Stern: Keep Rocking!

Dear Blog the Voters,

SEIU Local 775 members Dana Simmons, Alicia Macks, and Cathy Byrd are not who you might think of when you hear the word "activist." They are three young women who are professional “home care workers.” They take care of people with serious health needs in their own homes. Like many of us, they're swimming upstream in an economy that is working against them. So they chose to do something to turn the tide, by becoming politically active through their union.

And they are not alone anymore. Young men and women just like them all over the country are realizing their future is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice.

When Washington State bureaucrats tried to cut home care services, dozens of home care workers chose to rally in Spokane to protest the cuts. They chose to visit the Department of Social and Health Services office and presented a letter to the chief demanding they bargain over the proposed cuts to sick patients and their hardworking caretakers. When they refused to leave the office until receiving a response from DSHS, three members of the SEIU Local 775 home care workers union were arrested. Who do you think they were?

Meet the “Home Care Three,” a trio of courageous young women who know that it takes unity to get respect.

With so much on the line, thousands of SEIU members like these three are gearing up to hold our elected officials accountable for representing our interests in November. They are starting with one of the most basic yet radical things a person can do -- talking to the people they see eight hours a day.

Real one-on-one conversations are hard, but they shape opinions much more than any political ad.

That is why one of the biggest ways you can make a difference this year is to start talking to your coworkers, fellow students and friends--especially those who might not be likely to vote. With less than 50 days left in the race, it’s critical that we get everyone engaged and ready for November 2nd.

So in that spirit, here are some questions you can ask your coworkers to open up conversations about what matters to them in this election and why they should vote:

Do you know anyone who is out of work or struggling with debt?

Have you made career choices based on the need for health care coverage, or health care decisions based on costs?

Have rising tuition costs affected your decision to pursue higher education?

Your conversations will inspire people to take the time to vote on Election Day.

Thanks,
Andy Stern

The Word on the Street. The Urban Street.

ABSENTEE VOTERS MEET ABSENT-MINDED REGULATION
If you thought that 2000 marked an all-time low for elections in this country, the worst may be yet to come. Fears that the 2004 election may indeed suffer from far-more widespread attempts at fraud, scheming, and vote-tampering have only increased as election day draws nearer. The New York Times reports on the concerns of local election officials across the nation regarding absentee ballots and the overwhelming possibilities for their misuse. And if someone offers you concert tickets (or anything else…) in exchange for a vote – don’t take ‘em! Notable quotable: “In North Carolina, three university students were charged with felonies last year, accused of voting both absentee and at the polls after they responded to campus fliers that offered free concert tickets worth $22.50 for voting absentee.” The real question: what concert??


SUPPRESS THIS!
Meanwhile, Bob Herbert continues to report on race-based voter suppression – this time, in Detroit – where a state legislator actually said: "If we do not suppress the Detroit vote," said Mr. Pappageorge, "we're going to have a tough time in this election." Herbert even gets the official in question to repeat this sentiment after calling him for clarification You have to read it to believe it! Mr. Herbert also notes the incidents of student intimidation at Praire View A&M in Texas. Fortunately, he gives out the voter info hotline to call if voters face any problems at the polls – 1-866-OUR-VOTE. This is the same hotline used by Rock The Vote's student voting rights campaign. Lawyers are standing by…


BUS TOUR
But wait, there’s more! Rock the Vote’s bus tour has now officially entered Phase 2. Kicking off in Kent State, Ohio (a state which seems to be important to this election. Or so we’ve heard…) we’re getting all types of attention. Read the pre-game coverage here, because we didn’t know there was going to be a laser show!?!? (Also, the Kent Stater profiles the dreamy Dan Dyer. And his hair…) Better still, read the post-show wrap-up which features: inter-political couples, geeks, and the word “hackfest!”

-Aaron Coles

10-Year Federal Ban on Assault Weapons Ends Today

In 1994, President Clinton signed into law the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which outlawed 19 types of military-style weapons like AK-47s, Uzi’s and Tec-9s. The Ban was to expire after 10 years if Congress did not reauthorize it.

That day of expiration is today.

Congress did not reauthorize.

And, now, weapons previously banned can flood the gun market freely and enter our streets, exacerbating the already catastrophic culture of gun violence in this country.

According to the most recent statistics from the Center for Disease Control, eight young people under the age of 19 are shot and killed each day and 20,000 people each year. Opening up channels for bigger and more dangerous weaponry does not seem to us like a solution to this growing problem.

Police officers have joined anti-gun advocates in calling for reauthorization, citing the detrimental effect the lapse will have on their efforts to combat crime and even terrorism. Other gun advocates use the Washington, DC area “Sniper Shootings” as prime examples of the dangers posed by the weapons now allowable by law (or lack of law, as it is).

President Bush has said, if the renewal passed Congress he would sign it; but he hasn’t really asked Congress to pass it, which has John Kerry up in arms. Democrats and Republicans in Congress are both said to be dormant on the issue in an effort to woo gun owners in swing states. It’s unfortunate because gun violence, especially among America’s youth, goes well beyond electoral politics. It is a matter of health and public safety.

Gun violence has a disproportionate effect on young people’s lives, and it is vital for you to find out exactly how both candidates for President and your candidates for the House and Senate feel about the Ban, its possible reauthorization, and about gun rights in general.

Arizona Rock the Vote Team Fights for On-Campus Voting

As part of our campaign to promote the student vote, our Street Teams are charged with bringing polling places onto their campuses. It’s a great way to get more young people out on Election Day.

In Arizona, the Rock the Vote Street Team has been fighting for months to get a polling place on campus. Some local election officials have been less than cooperative.

Yesterday, the team delivered a petition to the election officials in Pima County with more than 400 signatures.

As part of their request, they have asked for an early-voting option at the new site, which would allow students to vote in their hometown elections from campus.

While the surging movement to register voters in their college towns—and to protect their right to do so—is getting much attention, the logical idea of creating on-campus election sites is just as powerful. The pool of voters covered by just the U of A petition could include 5,500 students who live on campus, 22,000 commuter students, and 13,000 university employees.

These are numbers not to be ignored in an election cycle, and providing safe and convenient polling places for such a large chunk of the population is paramount to a well-run and fair election.

We applaud the efforts of the Arizona students and encourage you to go and find out if there is a polling place on or near your campus.

Find more information about how you can bring a polling place to YOUR campus by clicking here.

Record Labels Strike Deals to Release ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ Albums, One of Which Aids Rock the Vote

The reluctance of major movie studios to release the controversial Michael Moore film Fahrenheit 9/11 was well-documented. After the movie ended up grossing millions and became the most talked-about movie of the summer, record companies are not having the same cold feet.

On October 5th, Sony BMG will release one album that Moore said inspired him and his crew throughout the filmmaking process. It includes performances by members of Rage Against the Machine, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, The Clash, and others.

That same day, Warner Music is releasing an album of songs used in the actual final cut of the film, including tracks by REM and Neil Young. Proceeds from this album will go to Rock the Vote.

We all know the political power music can have, and Springsteen, Dylan, The Clash and others have always made their sociopolitical views known through their tunes. It’s cool when great musicians turn their attention to affecting social, cultural, and political change.

We also applaud the record labels for not shying away from the controversy that surrounds the film and especially to Warner for donating the proceeds to ensure that the young people listening to their records have a strong voice in the political process.

So pick up the albums on October 5th!

Data Released On Issues Important to Young Americans

A group of policy organizations, youth voter drives, and academic institutions released some data on what exactly is on the mind of young American voters. The two issues most often cited by young people as top priorities are the two big “un’s”: unemployment and uninsurance. These concerns are where the biggest discrepancy between young and older voters lies. According to data collected by the group 18to35, the national rate of unemployment for 18 to 24-year-olds is two or three times higher than that of higher age ranges. And the uninsurance rate among 18 to 24-year-olds has reached 30%, which is the largest rate among all American age groups. Check out 18to35’s Online Policy Center for more eye-popping stats, most of which are drawn from great research papers that are also available on our website.

The health care gap is growing too big too fast, and we need you to help us do something about it. Let the candidates know how important the issue is to you by signing our petition and making your voice heard in an effort to close the health care gap.

Rock the Vote has proposed one clear solution that would possibly help millions of young people: allowing them to stay on their parents’ health care plans, as well as public plans such as Medicaid, until they are 26. Many young people fall into a huge gap in coverage when they turn 19 or graduate from school—they are kicked off of their family plans, but they do not have a job that offers them benefits, or they cannot afford the premiums because they do not earn enough money.

Let us know what you think of our proposal! And if you think it would help, sign that petition!

College Students Organize for Right to Vote

Student voting rights is going to be a hot topic during the month of September. Rock the Vote is joining with the New Voter’s Project, Student Voting Rights Campaign and attorneys across the country for a College Vote Initiative that aims to educate students about their voting rights. But what rights do students really have?

Federal and state laws make it clear that students have the right to vote wherever a student considers “home”. Legally, this means establishing residency in the county where you are trying to vote. Residency requirements vary by state and county. However, students everywhere must be treated like any other citizen when registering to vote. So, if a student voter registration form is rejected, the burden falls on the local registrar to demonstrate that they have not raised the residency standard for student voters.

Sometimes the lines can be blurry. Several students across the country have gone to court to prove that they are residents of their college community and should be allowed to register to vote in that county.

The most insidious form of student voter intimidation, however, may be the dissemination of incorrect information about the impact voter registration may have on a student’s eligibility for financial aid, health insurance or a parent’s right to claim a student as a dependent on tax returns. The College Vote Initiative aims to dispel these and other misconceptions about voter registration that may discourage students from registering to vote through an educational campaign.

The coalition is also actively investigating cases of student voter intimidation. Earlier this year, a District Attorney in Texas named Oliver Kitzman threatened to prosecute a student at Prairie View A&M, a historically black university, for registering to vote. Mr. Kitzman publicly stated, “it’s not right for any college student to vote where they do not have permanent residency,” exploiting confusion around the term ‘permanent residency’ to discourage students from registering to vote.

Rock the Vote held a town hall on the Prairie View campus to challenge Mr. Kitzman to set the record straight on student voting and the ‘permanent residency’ standard, and Texas Secretary of State Greg Abbott stepped forward to refute the district attorney’s statement. The students went on to file two lawsuits for voter intimidation with the ACLU of Texas, the NAACP, the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights, and People for the American Way.

If you have a case of student vote suppression to report, go to www.rockthevote.com/campusvoteand be sure to join our national day of action on September 23!

“Fcuk you, I’m voting”

If you haven’t seen or heard, the French Connection UK (FCUK) apparel company has produced a Rock the Vote shirt. You gotta check this thing out. The front of it simply reads, “Fcuk you, I’m voting.” There’s a Rock the Vote logo on the back, up top near the neckline.

“Fcuk you, I’m voting.” I think that phrase nicely sums up Rock the Vote’s politics. Cultural and subversive, but you can wear it whatever your political affiliation.

We’ve been giving them away at the DNC and RNC conventions. We did an in-store cocktail reception at each, including last night at the FCUK store in New York City’s SoHo district. Actress Angie Harmon, ex-NFL star Jason Sehorn and CBS soap-star Gavin Houston showed up to endorse the cause. The highlight for many was the performance by Declare Yourself’s spoken word poets. It was inspiring and hard-hitting. (They’re coming out on our Fall concert tour, we’re happy to report—you gotta check them out.)

Despite a great event and lots of appreciative laughs from our Republican friends, some RNC types have responded harshly to the shirt…That’s silly. What with all the protesters running around telling Republicans to “go home,” “Fcuk you, I’m voting” seems like the perfect retort!

Check out the shirt here.