This morning Rock the Vote released its first ever voting system scorecard- a 50 state analysis of laws and policies that have an impact on young voters’ access to the political process.
Unfortunately, this scorecard reveals that young Americans are being left out of the democratic process because of outdated voter registration practices, barriers encountered when trying to cast a ballot, and our country’s failure to adequately prepare them for active citizenship.
Rock the Vote President Heather Smith and Senator Jason Carter discuss the scorecard here: http://huff.to/j46zgP. Pennsylvania, a state ranked 40th on the scorecard, fails young voters: http://bit.ly/iTmZiy. You can view the scorecard, key findings, and a link to
the full report here: http://www.rockthevote.com/research/2011-voting-system-scorecard.html.
In today’s news, presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty discusses the Obama economy, Facebook has created a controversial, automated photo tagging feature, Nintendo releases a new touch-screen Wii, and Apple’s new iMessage may not go over well with cell carriers.
Caitlin + Katie
CRUCIAL:
Outdated and Failing: Modernizing Our Voting System for the Rising Electorate, http://huff.to/j46zgP
Heather Smith, president of Rock the Vote and Senator Jason Carter discuss the fact that despite the Millennial generation being the largest and most diverse in the country, the outdated voting process presents itself as a huge barrier to young voters. While states’ voting systems should be constantly improving, it is actually becoming harder for the rising electorate to participate due to differing state laws, ID legislation, same-day registration policies and other road blocks.
Rock the Vote Voting System Scorecard, http://bit.ly/mmPo75
Today, aRock the Vote released the Voting System Scorecard, which is a 50 state analysis of how well states are serving the rising electorate leading up to the 2012 elections. In light of the action around photo ID, early voting, Election Day registration and more, the comprehensive scorecard looks at how states are helping or hurting young voter participation. The national average score was a disappointing 41%.
Rock The Vote: Pa. Fails Young Voters, http://bit.ly/iTmZiy
Pennsylvania is among one of the worst states for voting based on the Rock the Vote Scorecard. Pennsylvania received this low ranking because it does not offer same-day and online voter registration, mandatory civics education or voter pre-registration for 16 and 17-year-olds.
‘Gay Girl in Damascus’ blogger detained, http://wapo.st/jEiUC0
Syrian American, Amina Arraf is a popular, lesbian blogger in Damascus, Syria. Monday evening Arraf was captured by three armed men in central Damascus and has not been heard from since. Her family has not been able to find out which of the 18 branches of the security services is holding her.
Republican freshmen spend big bucks on cars, PR, http://politi.co/k93tES
Having just recently been elected, many House Republican freshmen are spending large sums of taxpayer money on items such as $1,000-a-month car leases, mass mailings, and expensive online advertising contracts. They have been called hypocritical as they publicly call for budget cuts and pared-back government spending. These spending habits contrast other Republican rookies who have decided to not lease cars or take part in unnecessary congressional spending with taxpayer money.
Jason Derulo Teaches High School Students About Democracy for Rock the Vote, http://bit.ly/iJVAs7
Jason Derulo surprised students at Bronx Guild High School when he came and taught Democracy Class with Rock the Vote!
Is Increased Debt Inflating The Self-Esteem Of Recent Grads?, http://huff.to/j46zgP
While the average college graduate finishes school with about $25,000 of debt, these high costs might actually increase self-esteem. Specifically, people view debt from education as an investment in their future selves. Debt can help young people achieve goals, such as a college education, that they may not have otherwise been able to afford.
Pawlenty Prescribes Economic Rehab for Obama, http://bit.ly/jouRHI
GOP presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty said that President Obama “needs to go to rehab” if he thinks the economy is recovering. The comments came during what was described as the most important economic speech of his campaign, given in Obama’s home city of Chicago. Pawlenty has promised to cut costs and scale back unnecessary government services. Obama advisor David Axelrod has challenged Pawlenty to defend his handling of Minnesota’s finances.
Facebook’s Automated Photo Tagging Prompts EU Probe, http://on.mash.to/iTSP2g
Facebook’s new facial recognition software saves users time by guessing which friends are in their pictures. Users must confirm the names before the friends are tagged, and the feature can be deactivated. European Union regulators are worried about the privacy risks. Microsoft, Google and Yahoo have also faced EU scrutiny in the past for their privacy policies.
Countering Video Game Rivals, Nintendo Introduces a Touch-Screen Wii, http://nyti.ms/jG4zwU
Nintendo announced a new hand-held, touch-screen Wii video game console that has the ability to control play through motion. Nintendo has also added a camera, microphone and speaker to the device. The new controller can both be used as a second screen, or to mirror the game on a big screen.
Will cell carriers allow iMessage?, http://bit.ly/mhE2rD
Apple’s new “iMessage” service will compete with not only BlackBerry’s hugely popular BBM service, but also with regular texting. This won’t make carriers like AT&T and Verizon happy, who make huge profits on expensive SMS plans and only heard about the new service when Apple announced it to the public. iMessage, which will allow iPhone, iPod and iPad users to communicate for free could decrease texting by as much as 12%.
CULTURAL:
(via Cynopsis) Announced at a press conference yesterday in Switzerland, the International Olympic Committee granted NBCUniversal the US television rights to the next four Olympic Games through 2020. The agreement has NBCU paying $4.4 billion for the rights to continue being the US media home of the major global sporting event. FOX and ABC/ESPN also submitted bids for the Olympics.
OMG it’s a social tattoo, http://bit.ly/iNLpvk
Dirk Nowitzki fights off fever to rally Mavs past Heat, even Finals at 2, http://es.pn/lKRGLN
