Rocking the Debates, Picking the Prez

We've got just five days until Super Tuesday, and Rock the Vote is revving up the action.

Our Pledge to Pick the Prez has just passed 7,000 pledges to vote in less than 24 hours, with hundreds streaming in by the hour. If you haven't pledged yet, do it here - and everyone, email 10 of your friends to get them to pledge to vote!

If you're not sure when your election is or where your polling place is, click here.

Meanwhile, out in L.A., where the last primary debates are happening, Rock the Vote staff and volunteers have been debate-watching (last night was the Republican debate, tonight is the Democratic debate) and doing get out the vote reminders with young voters in town.

Tonight, we'll be at the Democratic debate in Hollywood - or to be more precise, we'll be outside. The debate sponsors - CNN, the LA Times, and The Politico - are organizing a big outdoor debate-watching event in the courtyard of the Hollywood and Highland complex. The debate will be simulcast on a huge screen in the courtyard of the complex.

We'll be there - come join us! Look for us with the Rock the Vote t-shirts and signs. Come say hi and watch the debates with us.

And remember - Pledge to Pick the Prez today, and make sure your friends do, too.

Pick the Prez on Tuesday

You did it again.

Not only did young voters surge to the polls in record numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire, you did it again in South Carolina and in Florida yesterday. Check out how many more of you voted than in the 2004 primaries (thanks to CIRCLE for calculating the vote totals):

Iowa: Turnout up 315% to 65,230 votes
New Hampshire: Turnout up 274% to 84,232
South Carolina: Turnout up 145% to 118,565*
Florida: Turnout up 355% to 285,970

I've said it before - there's something big happening here. We - America's young voters - are taking this election into our own hands and making everyone sit up and take notice.

Next Tuesday let's keep it up: on February 5th, 22 states go to the polls for presidential primaries. This week, Rock the Vote is launching our "Pledge to Pick the Prez," a campaign to harness the momentum of this election to mobilize young voters to the polls on the 5th and throughout the 2008 election cycle.

The pledge states:

I pledge to vote. I've had enough of politicians making decisions about our lives without our input - this year, we're picking the president.

Take the pledge, get all your friends to take the pledge, and make sure to get to the polls on Tuesday. You're picking the president this year - let's make sure they know it.


*There was no Republican primary in SC in 2004, so we added the Republican 2000 turnout to Democratic 2004 turnout for a comparison to 2008 turnout of both parties.

Check out Montel Williams Tomorrow

Last week we headed to NY to register over 50 audience guests from the Montel Williams show who have never voted in a presidential election. The show airs tomorrow on your local CBS affiliate. Check it out!

Wrapping up at Sundance

Wow, what a weekend!! The Rock the Vote Lounge was a huge success and one of the hottest spots at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival in chilly Park City, Utah. So many people stopped by our booth during their very busy schedules to share reasons why you should vote in this upcoming Presidential election. Check out some of my favorites pics. Also, be sure to pick up copies of OK! Magazine and the Washington Post to see pics of Brittany Murphy sporting a vintage Rock the Vote tee. Next stop...the Roots Jam Session at the GRAMMY Awards in LA!!

Live from Sundance

January 18, 2008

Reporting live from the Rock the Vote Lounge at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah: It’s day one and Rock the Vote is amidst hundreds of Hollywood writers, directors and actors clamoring to get attention for their latest projects. Our presence is definitely known and some of our celeb friends of past and present are here to show their support of you and the importance of your vote.

We caught up with actress Brittany Murphy who spent a lot of time in the Rock the Vote Lounge--- Brittany believes “No matter your party affiliation, you should vote simply because you can.” Steven Smith, host of Steven's Untitled Rock Show on Fuse, also stopped by our lounge. He believes the single most important thing you can do when you turn 18 is register to vote. Stay tuned for more…

Running for Office

Check out this article in today's The Hill, a D.C. newspaper, about all the 20- and 30-somethings running for office this year:

Gen X and Gen Y heading for Congress in November

By Aaron Blake January 15, 2008

More than a dozen 20- and 30-somethings have a real shot at being elected to Congress this November, suggesting that the apparent surge of youthful participation in national politics is not confined to the presidential contest.

The average age of members of Congress has crept steadily toward 60, but retirements should make way for some very young blood when a new House of Representatives is sworn in next January.

From early favorites like 26-year-old Aaron Schock (R) in Illinois to hopefuls like 29-year-old Bill McCamley (D) in New Mexico, the odds on their candidacies differ. But their numbers are as high as ever before, and many are running in some of the most competitive districts in the country.

Scott Kleeb, a 32-year-old Democrat who ran a spirited campaign in a dark-red Nebraska House district in 2006, is weighing a Senate bid this year. He argues that the Sept. 11 attacks helped galvanize a generation of young people to believe in public service again, and those young people are now running for federal office.

“This happens at certain points in our history,” said Kleeb, whose wife heads the Young Voter PAC (political action committee). “You began to see, with 2001, a re-emergence of a certain type of patriotism, especially among a younger generation, that didn’t carry the baggage of earlier generations.”

The 2006 election put several 30-somethings into the House, including Reps. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) and Kleeb’s foe, Adrian Smith (R-Neb.). But the collective age of Congress still rose that year, reaching an average of 57 years old.

This year, the retirements of many older members, especially in the dethroned Republican conference, should bring that number down significantly.

One seat that will get much younger is that of the late Rep. Julia Carson (D-Ind.). The March special election will pit her grandson, 33-year-old Indianapolis City-County Councilman Andre Carson (D), against 30-year-old state Rep. Jon Elrod (R).

Each was selected by local party activists over the weekend. Carson defeated state Rep. Carolene Mays (D), an established local figure who publishes an African-American newspaper. Elrod built a reputation with a tireless door-to-door campaigning style that Republicans think can win in a Democratic-leaning district.

The GOP is leaning heavily on youth in neighboring Illinois. State Rep. Schock is supported by most of the party establishment to replace retiring Rep. Ray LaHood (R), and young and wealthy political newcomer Steve Greenberg, 36, has gathered the early backing of national Republicans in their quest to finally unseat Rep. Melissa Bean (D).

Elsewhere, Kate Whitman, the 30-year-old daughter of former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman (R), is running for retiring Rep. Mike Ferguson’s (R-N.J.) seat; 37-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers heir Tom Rooney is in a tough primary in the top-targeted seat held by freshman Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-Fla.); and a pair of New Yorkers, 31-year-old Kieran Lalor and 36-year-old Richard Wager, are running in districts held by two other vulnerable Democratic freshmen.

Among the Democrats, 34-year-old state Sen. Andrew Rice is running against Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.); 29-year-old real estate banker executive Mike Leibowitz is reportedly set to be the first Democrat to enter the race against perennial target Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.); state Sen. John Boccieri, 38, is running for retiring Rep. Ralph Regula’s (R-Ohio) seat; and Albuquerque City Councilman Martin Heinrich, 36, will look to take Rep. Heather Wilson’s (R-N.M.) seat as she runs for Senate.

In New Mexico, McCamley faces an uphill primary battle against a well-funded oil man for the seat of Senate candidate Rep. Steve Pearce (R). The Dona Ana County commissioner said young candidacies like his are a symptom of the appetite for change in the country right now.

“Young people want to see people who are still paying off their student loans, people who may have recently not had a job or healthcare,” said McCamley, who dons jeans and a loosened tie on his campaign website.

That change theme has been a cornerstone of 46-year-old Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) appeal to the youth in his presidential bid. But as in his case, many congressional candidates say they have faced lots of questions about their levels of experience.

Greenberg likened his candidacy to Obama’s in that people are looking for youth and energy. “But I spent almost 17 years in the private sector, so it’s not like I just fell off the turnip truck,” he said.

Similarly, Schock’s opponents recently seized on some controversial comments he made about Iran, casting them as the words of a novice candidate.

But Schock does not run from his age. His campaign plays up his advanced life story, which includes his election to the Peoria School Board at 19 and the state House at 22.

“People want to know, at 26 years old, are you prepared to run for Congress, are you capable of serving in Congress,” Schock said. “In many cases, I think I’ve had to work harder and perform better than my colleagues simply to prove that I’m up to the task.”

Doug Thornell, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said the youth movement builds on what began in the 2006 election.

“Whether it is voting, organizing or running as a candidate, this enthusiasm bodes well for Democrats and we will continue to aggressively reach out to young voters in a variety of ways,” Thornell said.

Our Year to Rock the Vote

Three days after the New Hampshire primaries, the press and political community are still buzzing about young voters' record turnout in N.H. and in Iowa. Just a sampling of the buzz:

Generation Y: Ready to Rock the 2008 Election, The Washington Post

Appetite for change finally draws young voters to the polls, San Francisco Chronicle

Young Voters Become Primary Voters, The Myrtle Beach Sun News

Young Voters Are Reshaping The Political Map And Politicians Are Listening, The Huffington Post

Young Voters Take a Shot at the Status Quo, Los Angeles Daily News

Youth Vote Splits in New Hampshire, The Nation

And there are thousands more similar stories. You rocked it in N.H. and Iowa, and made them sit up and pay attention.

For all of you out there in Florida, California, South Carolina, Nevada, Tennessee, etc. etc. etc. with primaries and caucuses yet to come - let's build on this and Rock the Vote in 2008 like they've never seen before.

Update: Young NH Turnout Even Bigger Than We Thought

As more precinct tallies have come in over night, it's now clear young voters in New Hampshire rocked it even more than we knew last night.

More than 84,230 18-29 year olds voted in New Hampshire yesterday, a 271% increase from 2004 levels, according to a revised estimate from CIRCLE at the University of Maryland.

Young adults' turnout rate jumped sharply by 25 percentage points, from 18% in 2004 to 43% yesterday.

Wow.

Two interesting charts from CIRCLE's report - answering the question "who did they vote for?" - are below.


CIRCLE also notes, interestingly, that both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama drew strong support from under-30 voters yesterday. Clinton won 15,963 18-29 year old votes, while Obama won 22,906.

Young Adults Rock the New Hampshire Vote

Young Voter Turnout Surges in Primary, Lines at Student Precincts Spill Out the Doors

**Rock the Vote Spokespeople Available for Interview, Call Chrissy Faessen at 202-223-1520 x114**

Manchester, N.H., Jan. 8, 2008, 11pm – Building on the momentum of last week’s historic turnout in Iowa, 18-29 year olds in New Hampshire today turned out to the polls in huge numbers, in some locations spilling out the door and forming lines up to an hour long as large turnout exceeded expectations. (See photos) Today’s results reinforce the fact that young voters will play a critical role in the 2008 elections.

According to CNN’s exit poll, 18-29 year olds made up 18% of voters in the Democratic primary today, up from 14% in 2004. Among Republicans, 18-29 year olds made up 14% of voters. (there was no 2004 Republican exit poll) According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), more than 72,000 18-29 year olds voted in the primary today, up from 31,000 in 2004 - more than a two-fold increase.

Given these numbers and word from election officials that turnout is "absolutely huge" statewide, it's clear that young voter turnout is up significantly today.

In fact, 18-29 year old voters made up a larger share (18%) of today’s Democratic primary vote than either 30-39 year olds (15%) or 65 and over voters (13%) did.

“Clearly, 2008 is the year young people are Rocking the Vote,” said Heather Smith, Executive Director of Rock the Vote. “When candidates reach out to young voters and talk to us about issues we care about – health care, Iraq, education, and the environment – we respond and vote in powerful numbers.”

“Young voters’ energy this election year is amazing,” continued Smith. “Across the country, young people are organizing on their campuses and in their communities, getting registered, volunteering for campaigns, getting their friends involved, and getting out vote. In 2008, Rock the Vote will run the largest youth voter registration drive ever – registering two million 18-29 year olds – and work to increase young voter turnout to the polls for a historic third election in a row. Given the energy so far this election cycle, I have no doubt young adults will Rock the Vote in November.”

According to the CNN exit poll, young Democrats split between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton while young Republicans voted for John McCain.
• 18-24 year old Democrats supported Barack Obama (61%) over Hillary Clinton (22%);
• 25 to 29 year old Democrats supported Hillary Clinton (37%) over Barack Obama (34%);
• 18-29 year old Republicans voted for John McCain (27% of 18-24 year olds and 37% of 25-29 year olds) over Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and Mike Huckabee.

In New Hampshire, Rock the Vote worked online and on the ground to turn out young voters today. Rock the Vote staff and volunteers organized on Facebook, did get-out-the-vote reminders at Dartmouth College, placed ads online and in student newspapers, distributed get-out-the-vote toolkits to high schools, and secured radio DJ’s in New Hampshire to run PSA’s reminding young listeners to vote.

Looking to November, young voters’ record turnout in New Hampshire and Iowa indicates that 2008 is shaping up to be the third consecutive major election in a row with strong young voter turnout. Turnout went up significantly in 2004 – by 4.3 million over 2000 levels – and went up again in 2006, that time by 1.9 million over 2002 levels. In 2008, there are 44 million eligible 18-29 year old voters in the U.S., more than one-fifth of the electorate, a political powerful group that campaigns now know they must mobilize to win.

Contacts:
Chrissy Faessen, Rock the Vote, 202-223-1520 x114, chrissy(at)rockthevote.com

It's Your Night

Congratulations, New Hampshire! You truly rocked the vote tonight, and made sure the power of our generation is front and center in this presidential election.

It's all over the news - young voters will play a critical role throughout the 2008 elections, as we have in the first two races. CNN, ABC, and NBC tonight are all talking about the youth vote and our role in tonight's results. In fact, Rock the Vote's Heather Smith was on ABC tonight with anchor Sam Donaldson, who started the interview off by noting the incredible role young voters are playing in this year's elections.

Rock the Vote!

Young Voter Turnout Surges in N.H.!

The races aren't called yet, but the exit polls are out - and young voters have surged to the polls in New Hampshire!

According to CNN's exit polling:

• On the Democratic side, 18-29 year olds made up 18% of today's vote, up from 14% in 2004.
  
• On the Republican side, 18-29 year olds made up 14% of today's vote (there are no 2004 Republican exit polls for comparison).

In fact, 18-29 year old voters made up a larger share (18%) of today’s Democratic primary vote than either 30-39 year olds (15%) or 65 and over voters (13%) did.

Given these numbers and word from election officials that turnout is "absolutely huge" statewide, it's clear that young voter turnout is up significantly today!

Stay tuned - more results to come soon.

Big Crowds, High Energy at Polls in New Hampshire

5 p.m. - Just three hours until the polls close here in New Hampshire, and young voters continue to flock to the polls.

From a RTV volunteer: "At the Dartmouth campus polling place, the new voter registration line is more than an hour long. Tons of new voters!"

From another RTVer: "The VOTE bus [driving students to the polls] just keeps coming back and forth with more people!"

More pictures from the field:

Early Word: Big Turnout in New Hampshire

The press is reporting huge turnout at polling places across New Hampshire, and Rock the Vote volunteers are saying the same for young people and campus precincts. Crowds are big and energy is high at the Dartmouth College precinct in Hanover - check out the pics below.

Quote from a veteran poll worker registering new voters: "We're gonna run out of forms. Today has been amazing."

To all New Hampshire voters - if you haven't voted yet, make sure to get to the polls! Find answers to your questions here.

It's Your Turn

Jan. 8, 2008, 12 a.m. - As the clock hits midnight and the first New Hampshire polls open, I wanted to take a minute to reflect on what's happening here. Because something is definitely happening.

Last week, young Iowans made the cynics sit up and take notice by tripling their turnout to the caucuses and playing a decisive role in the first presidential primary contest. You showed them that we're taking this country into our hands. Now.

Over the next few days, every paper, every TV network, every radio station, and every website ran story after story about the power of the youth vote, the energy of the youth vote, the statement young Iowans made, and the political heft of the youth vote.

And this week, candidates were going after the youth vote like their campaigns depend on it - because they've realized they do. In New Hampshire, the youth vote is the talk of the town. Nearly every candidate was on a college or high school campus this week, was out there talking to young adults about college affordability or Iraq or health care, and was telling us what they will do FOR US, for the issues we care about, for our family and friends, and for our generation when they take office.

This is power. And we're on a roll. Turnout up in 2004, turnout up 2006, and turnout off to a historic start in 2008. Let's keep it going - New Hampshire, it's your turn.

It's your turn to Rock the Vote, New Hampshire. And I know you will today. Get to the polls, get your friends to the polls, and let's keep shocking the country and the candidates right into paying attention to us for the long haul.

NH: 26 Hours Until the Polls Open

With just hours left until the polls open in New Hampshire, Rock the Vote is on the ground and making it happen! See our latest news advisory below for more information - and if you're a New Hampshire voter, make sure to RSVP to vote on our Facebook event page!

Rock the Vote On the Ground in New Hampshire
Facebook, Student Outreach, Online Ads Part of Campaign to Continue Momentum & Increase Youth Turnout

**Media Spokespeople Available for Interview**

Contact: Kat Barr, Rock the Vote, 202-236-4865, kat (at) rockthevote.com

Jan. 7, 2008, Manchester, N.H. – Young voters made history in Iowa last week with record turnout to the caucuses. Defying all expectations, 17-29 year olds tripled their numbers at the caucuses, propelled the winners to victory, and made the country sit up and take notice.

Now it’s New Hampshire's turn, and Rock the Vote and young volunteers in New Hampshire are working on the ground and online to make sure the momentum continues. The trend has already begun in New Hampshire: in the 2004 New Hampshire primary, 31,000 18-29 year olds voted, up significantly from 20,000 votes cast by 18-29 year olds in the 2000 primary.

Nationwide, turnout of 18-29 year olds went up in both the 2004 and 2006 general elections. With unprecedented turnout in Iowa and the energy on the ground in New Hampshire, 2008 is shaping up to be the third consecutive election in a row with increased young voter turnout.

What We’re Doing: Outreach on Facebook, flyering at the Dartmouth College campus, ads online and in student newspapers, radio DJ reminders to vote, and toolkits for high school teachers and principals to get their students out to vote.

Our Goal: We’re seeing an unprecedented amount of energy and action from young adults this election. In New Hampshire, we’ll increase young voter turnout again, and keep building momentum to a historic 2008 election.

We saw in Iowa that when candidates court young adults, they vote in powerful numbers and can be the winning edge in an election. The youth vote is the group to watch in New Hampshire – and throughout 2008.

Media: Rock the Vote’s media spokespeople on the ground in New Hampshire will be tracking young voter turnout and mobilization activities, and will be available for comment the day of and days following the primary. Contact Kat Barr at 202-236-4865 for interviews and with questions.

For more on Rock the Vote and young voters’ recent historic turnout in Iowa, see www.RocktheVote.com. Check our site frequently for updates from the field and the latest news of young voter turnout in New Hampshire!

Rock the Vote Media Contact: Kat Barr, 202-236-4865 or kat (at) rockthevote.com

Rock the Vote in New Hampshire

Young voters made history in Iowa last week with record turnout to the caucuses. Defying all expectations, 17-29 year olds tripled their numbers at the caucuses and made the country sit up and take notice.

Now it’s New Hampshire's turn. The N.H. presidential primaries are on Tuesday, January 8th. Get out and vote, and make sure your friends do the same. Here’s how:

Show Up: In New Hampshire, any resident 18 years of age or older can vote in the presidential primaries. If you’re not yet registered to vote, you can show up and register at the polls on Tuesday. Just bring your ID to show proof of age, residence, and citizenship.

Find Your Polling Place: Not sure where to go on Tuesday? Click here to find your polling place and its hours of operation.

Pick Your Primary: New Hampshire voters who are not registered with a political party may vote in either primary (more info). Voters who are registered as Democrats may vote in the Democratic primary; voters registered as Republicans may vote in the Republican primary.

Make Your Choice: Check out the sample Democratic and Republican ballots and, to read up on the candidates, see CNN’s 2008 Election Center or the New York Times’ Election Guide 2008.

Tell Your Friends: Click here for a sample email you can send to your friends, reminding them to vote on Tuesday. Send an email to ten of your friends right now. Then, on Election Day, text message those same ten and remind them to get to the polls.

Find all the above info here and join our Facebook event here.

Rock the Vote is heading to Manchester, New Hampshire to mobilize young voters to the polls for the New Hampshire primaries. Rock the Vote Executive Director Heather Smith and others will be on the ground doing young voter outreach in the final days leading up to the primary. Stay tuned – more details to come.

Together we can make history in New Hampshire and make sure the candidates know who’s Rocking the Vote in ’08!

FOR THE PRESS - Rock the Vote's media spokespeople will be tracking young voter turnout and mobilization activities, and will be available for comment the day of and days following the primary. Contact Chrissy Faessen at 202-223-1520 x114 or chrissy(at)rockthevote.com.

Young Voters Turn Out Huge to Iowa Caucuses, Propel Obama, Huckabee to Victory

More than 65,000 young Iowans Rock the Caucuses tonight; Show that the candidate who reaches out to the youth vote will win elections

Jan. 3, 2008 - Des Moines, IA: Young voters turned out in big numbers to the Iowa caucuses tonight and propelled both of the winning candidates to victory. Among 17-29 year old Democrats, 57% supported the winner, Barack Obama, and among 17-29 year old Republicans, 40% supported the winner, Mike Huckabee, according to the CNN entrance poll.

Total turnout of 17-29 year olds was triple the age group's turnout in 2004, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), surpassing 65,000 young participants in the caucuses.

“Tonight showed that candidates who court young voters will win elections,” said Heather Smith, Executive Director of Rock the Vote. “Young voters turned out for candidates who spoke to them, talked about issues they care about, and asked for their votes. Clearly, young voters are a political powerhouse in 2008 and will play a major role come November.”

According to CNN’s entrance poll, 17-29 year olds made up 22% of Democratic caucus-goers, an increase of five percentage points over 2004 and more than this age group’s share of the population (21%). Among Republicans, 11% of caucus-goers were 17-29 years old (there was no Republican caucus in 2004 for comparison).

Fifty-seven percent of 17-29 year old Democrats caucused for Barack Obama, 14% for John Edwards, 11% for Hillary Clinton, and 10% for Bill Richardson. Among 17-29 year old Republicans, 40% caucused for Mike Huckabee, 22% for Mitt Romney, and 21% for Ron Paul. (CNN entrance poll)

In addition to campaigns, nonpartisan organizations including Rock the Vote ran aggressive young voter outreach campaigns. With Iowa PIRG’s New Voters Project, Rock the Vote ran a “Rock the Caucus” campaign to mobilize high school and college students to turn out to the Iowa caucuses. Rock the Vote reached out to more than 20,000 young adults during the Iowa campaign, through class presentations, mock caucuses, online organizing, high school parties, and a voter education campaign.

Young voter turnout is on an upward trend. Turnout went up significantly in 2004 – by 4.3 million over 2000 levels – and went up again in 2006, that time by 1.9 million over 2002 levels. Given this momentum and tonight’s strong young voter showing in Iowa, the 2008 elections are shaping up to be the third consecutive election in a row with increased young voter turnout.

Media Contact: Chrissy Faessen at 202-223-1520 x114 or chrissy (at) rockthevote.com. Rock the Vote spokespeople, including Executive Director Heather Smith, are available for comment and interviews.

Hundreds of Students Turn Out to “Rock the Caucus” Parties

Jan. 3, 5:30pm
More than 450 high school students crowded into Rock the Vote’s Rock the Caucus parties at Valley and Lincoln High Schools in Des Moines, and then headed off to participate in their first Iowa caucuses. The big turnout bolsters other evidence that young adults will play a significant role in Iowa and throughout the 2008 elections. See pictures of the parties here and here.

Said Valley student coordinator Ali Diaz, a high school junior: “Today was proof that young voters will have a big voice in the 2008 elections. I’m excited to be voting in my first caucus – I get to play a part in deciding who the next president of the United States will be tonight, and that’s an amazing feeling.”

Find out more here.