Combating recent drop in youth voter turnout, program will register, educate, and mobilize youth voters across six congressional districts in New York
NEW YORK – End Citizens United // Let America Vote Action Fund has partnered with former Congressman Max Rose to launch “Organize New York,” a $9 million youth mobilization campaign that will work to register, educate, and mobilize voters ages 18-26 across the six congressional districts where youth turnout dipped in 2022: NY-03, NY-04, NY-17, NY-18, NY-19, and NY-22. The program will begin hiring paid organizers in each of the six districts in the coming months, including on the 39 college and university campuses, that will complement a sophisticated mail and digital campaign.
“For too long, young voters in New York have been an afterthought and as a result their voices have been left behind. That needs to change,” said Tiffany Muller, President of ECU // LAV Action Fund. “We’re excited to partner with Max to launch Organize New York, an innovative youth organizing program to get out the youth vote and build on the incredible work that’s being done across the state. It’s critical for young voters to make their voices heard and we’re going to make sure they’re organized, energized, and mobilized.”
“It’s unacceptable that New York has fallen behind in youth voter turnout,” said former Congressman Max Rose, Senior Advisor to Organize New York. “2022 should be a five-alarm fire and a wake up call to all of us that we can’t just wish and pray that young people will get back to the polls now that it’s a presidential election. We can and we must do better, which is why I’m excited to partner with End Citizens United // Let America Vote Action Fund to launch Organize New York and build a grassroots campaign to flip the script and get out the youth vote.”
The non-partisan “Organize New York” program will look to raise and spend $9 million to:
- REGISTER: Identify and register 20,000 students ages 18-26 across the six target districts;
- EDUCATE: Develop compelling pro-democracy messaging to both mobilize the broader 18-26 age group and persuade them to vote;
- MOBILIZE & TURNOUT: Reach every college-age student who did not vote in 2022 and mobilize 50,000 campus commitments to vote.
While many other states saw rising youth turnout in the last election, New York lagged behind with alarmingly low rates of youth voter turnout. Compared to Michigan and Pennsylvania, which saw youth turnout increase from 2018 to 2022, New York’s youth turnout dropped nearly ten percent. Going into 2024, this puts young people in New York at risk of being left behind and not fully represented in their democracy.
This puts New York at risk of having the progress it made in youth voter turnout from 2016 to 2020 negated. If that trend is not reversed, it could spell disastrous consequences for youth turnout in the 2024 presidential election.
Brookings, “New voter turnout data from 2022 shows some surprises, including lower turnout for youth, women, and Black Americans in some states,” William H. Frey, May 18, 2023
ECU // LAV’s pro-democracy, anti-corruption messaging, which has proven to be one of the most motivating issues, will be critical in persuading youth voters to participate in next year’s elections. ECU // LAV Action Fund is the largest organization in the country focused on campaign finance reform, expanding voting rights, and passing comprehensive democracy reform.
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