Spring Break
Online registration directed towards youth vote
Laura Delarato
Issue date: 10/1/08 Section: News
In a 2008 study by Rockthevote.
com, 1.6 million people have used their Web site to download
voter-registration forms. In 2004's presidential election, they had 40,000 people in one day fill out the online registration form.
Rockthevote.com is an online voter-registration Web site that is directed to the youngest voting demographic in the United States. According to their Web site," [Rock the Vote was] founded nearly 20 years ago in response to a wave of attacks on freedom of speech and artistic expression, Rock the Vote quickly established itself as the premier organization representing the intersection of young people, politics, and popular culture." The organization began in 1992 with public service announcements featuring various recording artists encouraging voting in that year's presidential election. The result was a 20 percent increase "youth turnout compared to the previous Presidential election."
The majority of users who uses Rockthevote.com are in the youngest age bracket to vote. According to their mission statement, "Rock the Vote uses music, popular culture and new technologies to engage and incite young people to register and vote in every election. And we give young people the tools to identify, learn about, and take action on the issues that affect their lives, and leverage their power in the political process." The Nation.com reported this year that there are 44 million 18-24 year-olds who are eligible to vote in the upcoming election, which is 21 percent of the voting population.
Recently, the Salt Lake Tribune reported that many forms from Utah supplied by Rockthevote.com have been rejected because of incomplete information.
"I would say about 25 percent of those online forms I have to send back because they have no phone number on them," Melanie Langford, a Weber County elections specialist said. However, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 states that "Election officials may not refuse incomplete voter registration applications."
com, 1.6 million people have used their Web site to download
voter-registration forms. In 2004's presidential election, they had 40,000 people in one day fill out the online registration form.
Rockthevote.com is an online voter-registration Web site that is directed to the youngest voting demographic in the United States. According to their Web site," [Rock the Vote was] founded nearly 20 years ago in response to a wave of attacks on freedom of speech and artistic expression, Rock the Vote quickly established itself as the premier organization representing the intersection of young people, politics, and popular culture." The organization began in 1992 with public service announcements featuring various recording artists encouraging voting in that year's presidential election. The result was a 20 percent increase "youth turnout compared to the previous Presidential election."
The majority of users who uses Rockthevote.com are in the youngest age bracket to vote. According to their mission statement, "Rock the Vote uses music, popular culture and new technologies to engage and incite young people to register and vote in every election. And we give young people the tools to identify, learn about, and take action on the issues that affect their lives, and leverage their power in the political process." The Nation.com reported this year that there are 44 million 18-24 year-olds who are eligible to vote in the upcoming election, which is 21 percent of the voting population.
Recently, the Salt Lake Tribune reported that many forms from Utah supplied by Rockthevote.com have been rejected because of incomplete information.
"I would say about 25 percent of those online forms I have to send back because they have no phone number on them," Melanie Langford, a Weber County elections specialist said. However, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 states that "Election officials may not refuse incomplete voter registration applications."
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