Check out Chrissy from Rock the Vote moderating Self Magazine’s #13for13 Resolutions for a Better HOA: Get Involved. Featuring panelists from the Knight Foundation’s, Jeff Coates; Ashoka’s Lennon Flowers; Alex Smith, from the College Republican National Committee; Chris Wallas, Obama Campaign Field Organizer from Prince George’s County and and Devin Foley, from The Intellectual Takeout.
Archive for the
‘young voters’ Category
Get Involved 2013
Friday, January 25th, 2013 |
Rock the Vote Bio: Rock the Vote was founded in 1990 to organize artists and fight against censorship of musicians. Since then we've evolved to focus on empowering young people to get involved in the political process. We use pop culture, peer-to-peer organizing, and the latest technology to raise visibility of politics and demystify the process of registering to vote. @rockthevote Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com |
National Voter Registration Day
Tuesday, September 25th, 2012National Voter Registration Day
From coast to coast, Rock the Vote is blowing out the first ever National Voter Registration Day with concerts, events, videos, and new technologies, all with the goal of registering more voters than have ever been registered to vote in a single day. In Philadelphia, Rock the Vote is having a huge concert at the Community College of Philadelphia with Talib Kweli, a guest DJ set by Jeffery Tonnesen, and an appearance with Miss USA Olivia Culpo. It is also the first stop of the second leg of the Road Trip, which will be coming to a city near you soon. Make sure to keep tabs on them #RTVRoadtrip.
In New York City, Rock the Vote has teamed up with NYC Votes to put on the Youth Voter Registration Jam, which will bring DJ’s from radio station Hot97 together with stars like Rosario Dawson all together for a great time to get young people registered.
In LA Rock the Vote is doing 2 amazing events with Amoeba music. In the store there will be a live show with Murs and Fashawn celebrating both National Voter Registration Day. They have a new album coming out today called This Generation. If you can’t make the show tonight at 6pm at Amoeba Records in Hollywood, be sure to check out the live cast of the concert. Across the street at Space15twenty Band of Horses are playing an intimate show for National Voter Registration Day and to mark the release of their new album Mirage Rock.
We are also having events in places as far and wide as Austin, Boston, Detroit, and many many more. See which ones are happening near you and go out and register!
Not only that, but we have teamed up with Funny or Die for two awesome, and very funny videos with today’s biggest stars. Don’t miss them!
All of this is to bring people together, both in person and online, to register to vote and be heard. Join us, and share the the link to rockthevote.com today as much as you can to make sure everyone you know is registered to vote today! It’s easier now than ever, and you can even do it right on Facebook!
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sam@rockthevote.com Bio: Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com |
Election Guide Weekly Post – Taxes
Tuesday, July 10th, 2012Rock the Vote is pleased to announce that we will be releasing a 2012 Election Issue guide for young voters to use a reference to cast a well-informed vote. Each week we will post one of the issues from the guide until its release. This week’s feature is the tax debate.
One of the most divisive areas of American politics is raising taxes or offering tax breaks. At the center of this debate is raising the income tax by tax bracket to raise revenue to pay for the massive debt that has already been built. Some believe that raising taxes for the wealthiest Americans may be a solution; while others contend that raising taxes is the last course of action an already too-expanded government should take. A further examination of the fundamental problem of a poor economy has led some to believe that lowering the high corporate tax rate would support business creation in the U.S. and allow for greater competition abroad. One aspect of this debate is in non-partisan agreement; the tax code is convoluted, and requires some degree of reform. However, the method and direction this reform should take is a point of contention between parties seeking to advance the wishes and philosophies of their constituents.
This debate effects young voters in much the same way as the other age demographics in the U.S. yet with, if possible, even more significance. For one, young voters leaving college with debt and preparing to construct a stable career are often under mild to serious financial strain, meaning that each tax increase could cause immense difficulties. Furthermore, young voters have the most to lose from a poorly constructed policy that does not strike a balance between raising money for the government to reduce the budget deficit and supporting growth in our floundering economy, as young voters will be inheriting the 15.5 trillion dollar national debt. As bickering creates deadlock in Congress and prevents meaningful progress, it is vital that young voters provide a push for their representatives to cast aside the bickering that has been dominating policy discusion and make the right decisions for our future.
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Alex Meyer Bio: Alex Meyer is a sophomore at Colorado College planning to major in Political Science and History. He believes strongly in the importance of maximizing voter participation in order to provide the check on concentrated power that the founding fathers envisioned when they wrote the constitution. Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com |
Health Care Reform and Young Adults
Friday, June 22nd, 2012As the Supreme Court debates the individual mandate aspect of the Affordable Care Act, it is important to note the effect this decision will have on the upcoming elections, and more specifically the young adult electoral block. This act contains over 1000 pages of modifications and additions to the current health care system that will play a large role in health care for all Americans. However, there are a couple of provisions that are specific to the young adult demographic and will play a significant part in expanded health care coverage for the future as well as shaping how the youngest registered voters will choose their political representation in the upcoming election. The two largest provisions concerning young adults are the extension for coverage on a parent’s plan until the age of 26 (a provision that has rightly seen little argument as in has insured 3.1 million young adults to date) and the controversial individual mandate aspect of the Affordable Care Act.
For those who do not know, the individual mandate is the requirement to buy health insurance at the risk of fines as a preventive measure designed to reduce cost and maintain them as low as possible. This mandate’s inclusion in the bill has been the greatest challenge levied at the law by its opponents, and the mandate’s constitutionality is in question in the Supreme Court. With regards to young voters, the mandate may seem unfair as it requires those in the prime of their life, who are both healthy and often less secure financially, to pay for health care that they might never need. In response to that criticism, the law also includes a “Catastrophic option” that allows for young people to purchase their health care at a low premium (annual rate) but with high deductibles (charges stemming from ever needing health care).
With the decision in the Supreme Court rumored to be released soon, the expanded coverage associated with the law may altered. This election will be perhaps the most important election in the history of health care reform as the candidates will seek to uphold, repeal or adjust the law. It is important for young adults in particular to wade through the political posturing and election rhetoric and choose the candidate that will best serve the interests of this and future generations’ health care coverage.
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Alex Meyer Bio: Alex Meyer is a sophomore at Colorado College planning to major in Political Science and History. He believes strongly in the importance of maximizing voter participation in order to provide the check on concentrated power that the founding fathers envisioned when they wrote the constitution. Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com |
Cater to Us!
Friday, June 15th, 20122008 saw the rise of a growing, powerful and concerned voting electorate. Politicians, as well as political pundits, underestimated the engagement and ultimately the voting power of youth in America during that presidential election cycle. Yet again we’re seeing that play out again. There’s all this talk about the disengagement of my generation; but why would we be engaged – when neither of the candidates or their campaigns are addressing the issues that will directly affect us? I want to vote – because I have something at stake and my voice is important and my vote is the way to influence the world around me – but these politicians need to earn my vote.
Flashback to 2008: Millennials voted in that presidential election in record numbers because we were engaged by the political process; and it was our overwhelming engagement that led to the victory of President Obama.
The number of youth under 30 is rapidly rising and diversifying. Soon young adults under the age of 30 will make up nearly a fourth of the voting age population. If that’s not enough proof of the power young Americans could have, consider the estimated 16 million citizens that have turned 18 since the 2008 elections. These candidates can’t win without our support on November 6th, 2012 – and they should realize that.
So if Mitt Romney and President Obama want our vote, they need to engage us. Talk to us about making college more affordable and accessible or job creation, for example. Instead, the issues affecting young adults are superficially addressed, and only when it becomes a matter of convenience for candidates. I would be hard pressed to believe that either candidate would have addressed the issues around the student loan interest rate hike, which congress has yet to fully address, had their not been such an outcry by students, families & numerous organization across the country. And, recently Mitt Romney’s campaign released a graphic comparing his first 100 days in office to President Obama’s. Looking through this chart, I couldn’t help but notice one glaring omission: youth were not addressed at all. By not fully addressing youth voters, both candidates are risking a lofty portion of the electorate not being mobilized to vote. This is appalling to me and I imagine others feel similarly.
I know we are still considered by many pundits to be the apathetic and lazy section of the electorate. Statements like “youth voter turnout is predicted to drop significantly in the 2012 U.S. presidential election, due partly to the decline in political interest among young people” (Youth Votes Will Drop Significantly In 2012 Election) So lets change the Narrative!
To the young voters reading this, let’s force them to recognize the power we have and will have in the voting booths on Election Day, so they don’t continue to discount us or our votes OR worse, take them for granted. We need to communicate to the campaigns that they need to communicate to us. Make it clear that we want to hear from the candidates directly, and on the issues that matter to our generation.
And to the candidates, loop us in! I’m confident that effort will go a long way..
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Alston Neville Bio: Alston Neville is a Advocacy Intern at Rock the Vote. He is currently a junior at Duke University studying Public Policy, and African/African-American Studies. Also He is a North Carolina native hailing from Pittsboro. @Tha_Big_MAC Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com |
