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Statistically, 18 to 24 year olds are the group least likely to vote. Will the celebrity pitch motivate youth? “It’s not like it’s really changed my mind or anything or made me vote more — it really hasn’t worked too well for me,” says 18-year-old Stephan Gandossi.
From hip-hop mogul Sean “P-Diddy” Combs, to actor Bruce Willis and a host of other celebrities, “Vote or Die” is the message to young voters. “Just like people endorse a product, they’re endorsing voting, so when a celebrity endorses voting, people want to vote more,” says 17-year-old Gimel Rogers.
Katherine Lee, also 17, says it’s a message that’s gotten her attention. “We’re 17 and 18 and really don’t know much about the political process. And I think we need some kind of direction, and we listen to the celebrities and what they have to say,” she says.
“I think this is the last, great, untapped resource for votes, and there are all those swing states. And they’re trying to get as many voters out as possible,” civics teacher Don Savage surmises. “I think both parties are just trying to capture that vote.”
In Savage’s high school civics class, first time voters say their reasons for voting are less about media hype and more about civic responsibility. Says Patrick Swindall, 17, “[Voting] gives your say into the government, and it’s the only way you can really get your thoughts across.”
“P-Diddy, or whoever it might be, might get [kids] to the polls — that’s great — but they have to stay there,” says Savage. “I don’t think it comes from MTV, I think it comes from mom and dad.” Getting kids to become lifetime voters, he says, starts at home with parents who engage kids in ongoing conversations about politics and issues that affect their lives. And, experts say, parents must show kids with words and action that voting is important.
Tim Reitz, 17, says his father influenced his decision to go to the polls this November. “My dad tells me all the time that not everybody has the choice to vote, not everybody has that ability. And, you know, I have that freedom, and I should make the most of it. And if my dad hadn’t told me that, I probably wouldn’t care that much.”
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By Amye Walters
CWK Network, Inc.
Founded by entertainment mogul Sean “P. Diddy” Combs , the singular mission of Citizen Change is “to make voting hot, sexy and relevant to a generation that hasn’t reached full participation in the political process.” The message of Citizen Change is probably familiar to media-savvy teens: Vote or Die!
Citizen Change is a national, non-partisan and non-profit organization created to educate, motivate, and empower the more than 42 million Americans aged 18 to 30 . It follows successful campaigns like Rock the Vote, hyped in the late-90s by MTV and often cited as a reason for the success of the Clinton-Gore defeat of President George W. Bush’s father, the former President George Bush.
Parents and teachers ranked highest on a list of people who influence teens’ knowledge of and interest in politics. The media was next, followed by the Internet and friends. When asked what they learned from these sources, teens gave high credit to parents and teachers for providing them with a mostly positive impression of politics and politicians.
- Fifty-four percent of teens have covered the 2004 election in a class at school.
- Forty-seven percent had talked about the 2004 election with their parents.
- Of this 47 percent, 74 percent were interested in the upcoming election.
- Ninety-one percent of teens who discussed this November’s election with their parents plan to vote all or most of the time once meeting age requirements.
- Sixty-seven percent of teens who didn’t discuss the upcoming election with their parents plan to vote all or most of the time once meeting age requirements.
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By Amye Walters
CWK Network, Inc.
Encourage discussion within your family about the upcoming election. Have your child talk to elder family members who voted for or against historical figures like Kennedy or Nixon. If your teen will meet age requirements before the November 2 general election, encourage them to register and vote. Registration deadlines vary by state. Look online at Rock The Vote to verify your state’s voter registration requirements and deadlines.
Show your teen how politics can directly touch his or her life. One hot topic is a possible military draft. The U.S. military is being stretched thin, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has debated reinstitution of the draft. Our country was a different place in the 1970s when the draft was last operational. We have new factors to consider in 2004. Discuss these details and differences with your teen.
- Acquire and fill out voter registration forms with your teen. If your teen meets age requirements, you should each fill out a voter registration form.
- If your teen meets age requirements on Election Day, go to your polling place together to cast your ballots.
- If your teen doesn’t meet age requirements for the 2004 election, but will turn 18 before the 2008 election, involve them in the current election as preparation for the next election.
- Consider taking teens between 14 and 17 to the pooling place with you. Even if they are not permitted inside for security reasons, the visit will demystify the voting process.
- Remind your child that the November election is the result of many local primaries and that Americans are able to vote for their national, state and local leaders.
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