Got Hope
rockthevote.org
Dear Leading Ladies,
There is excitement in the air while a new figure takes center stage as the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party. The race seems very close right now, and the results may likely hinge on voter turnout – specifically, on the turnout of women and young people in battleground states.
Last week, we suggested that our readers write postcards to reluctant voters in those states, using our postcards with images created by high school students for our Art as Activism poster contest. Our belief, backed by research, is that postcards work, and that our eye-catching postcards will work even better. The first 15 postcards are free; we suggest donations of $6 per packet of 15 after that to cover our printing and shipping costs. For more information, click here.
This week, we are focusing on the youth vote. As we have noted before, in 2024, Millennials and Gen Z will account for 44% of American voters. Yet voter suppression efforts have resulted in the removal of polling sites from college campuses and the introduction of more complicated voter ID laws.
We recognize that those of us who have aged out of the X, Y, and Z generations may not be the most effective messengers to encourage young people to vote. That said, we are not helpless. There are some terrific organizations that speak the language of the young. And they need our dollars to do their work.
For example:
Rock The Vote: With 1100 tech partners, Rock the Vote, founded 33 years ago, says they have registered 14 million young voters.
NextGen America: Says it is the largest youth voting organization, using digital and field strategies to turn out young voters in key states.
The Civics Center: Dedicated to registering high school students to vote, which is particularly relevant since in key states fewer than 30% of 18-year-olds are registered.
As Leading Ladies has done in the past, we will be going into local schools to register students to vote. We recognize the importance of engaging students civically as early as possible, but we also realize that Massachusetts is not in play in the upcoming elections. That means we need to do more outside of our state borders. Supporting the organizations above will help engage young people in states that may determine who sits in the Oval Office next January 20th.
We can all make a difference. Let’s do it! And, as always, spread the word!
All the best,
Therese (she/her/hers)
Judy (she/her/hers)
Didi (she/her/hers)
Leading Ladies Executive Team