http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/arizona-student-vote-coalition-kicks-off-week-of-get-out-the-vote-activities2 Speaker Weiers, Senator Burton-Cahill, Senator Leff, Representative Gallardo and Others to Highlight Importance of Youth Vote Following a successful effort by the Arizona Student Vote Coalition to register thousands of young voters across the state, legislators from both Chambers and both parties joined with student leaders from across the state in a news conference to highlight the importance of youth turnout this Election. Since 2004, the Arizona Student Vote Coalition which is comprised of the Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG), the Arizona Students’ Association (ASA), the Associated Students of Arizona State University at the Polytechnic Campus (ASASUP), the Associated Students of Arizona State University at the West Campus (ASASUW), the Associated Students of Northern Arizona University (ASNAU), the Associated Students of the University of Arizona (ASUA), the Graduate and Professional Student Association at Arizona State University at the Tempe Campus (GPSA), and Undergraduate Student Government at Arizona State University at the Tempe Campus (USG), have used time tested and academically reviewed methods to register 18-30 year olds to vote and make personalized voters turnout contacts. Student leaders will continue to work vigorously to ensure the state’s youth vote momentum continues through Election Day. In the months leading up to the voter registration deadline, students involved with the Arizona Student Vote Coalition stormed dorms, pounded the pavement, and invaded classrooms to make sure that students were registered to vote. Representatives of the Arizona Student Vote Coalition reached out to campuses from Flagstaff to Yuma to Sierra Vista and points in between to encourage young people to register and vote. http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/arizona-student-vote-coalition-kicks-off-week-of-get-out-the-vote-activities2 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:25:24 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/quotes-from-arizona-legislators-on-behalf-of-the-arizona-student-vote-coalition Senator Amanda Aguirre, District 24 "I am proud to be cultivating citizenship in our young people by encouraging them to register and vote." Senator Sylvia Allen, District 5 "The best way for young people to feel part of this country is to vote. But not only vote but be an informed voter and know what the candidates stand for. Understand how government works and the principles upon which this Nation was founded. Know who your representatives are and how a bill becomes a law. We have a great country which allows its citizens to take part in the governing process. We can make things better by being involved. I can't think of anything better for our country than the fresh ideas and energy young people will bring to the process." Senate President Tim Bee, District 30 "We face many challenges as a state that directly affects young people. Students need to vote to have a voice in issues such as college tuition and the availability of high-paying jobs. An informed and involved citizenry is also critically important to preserving our democracy and our young people are America's future leaders, and - more importantly - America's future citizens. Democrats, Independents and Republicans agree encouraging young people to get involved and vote is not just worthwhile, but critically important." Senator Ron Gould, District 3 "When we engage young people in the political process today, we get them started down the path of lifelong participation in their community." Senator Linda Gray, District 10 "Young people are our future, but I encourage them to start working on the issues that will affect them today by registering to vote and making it to the polls.” Senator John Huppenthal, District 20 “Young people represent nearly a quarter of the electorate and to further our democracy now and in the future we need to make sure that they register, vote and are engaged in the political process.” Senator Barbara Leff, District 11 "When young adults vote, they are actively engaging in charting their own futures." Senator Rebecca Rios, District 23 "Let this election be an opportunity for young people to be more involved in the civic process than ever before." Representative Jack Brown, District 5 "If young people don't get registered and vote, then their voices will go unheard. That is why I am supporting the Arizona Student Vote Coalition in their effort to register our youth and get them to the polls in November." Representative Jennifer Burns, District 25 "In order for young people to take control of their future, they need to get involved in our elections. That is why I am supporting the non-partisan Arizona Student Vote Coalition's get out the vote efforts." Representative Chabin, District 2 "Young people are going to feel the impact of what we legislators do for years to come. That is why we need to hear their voices through voting. When young voters speak out, we will listen." Representative John Kavanagh, District 8 "I urge all young people to learn about the candidates and the issues and get out and vote. The vote of an 18 year old carries as much weight as that of an 80 year old. The only worthless vote is one that is not cast." Representative Lucy Mason, District 1 "It is incredibly important for our students to become interested in a range of issues and educated to make informed decisions. We need to have young people register and vote. Voting could be considered the most significant way to exercise the freedom of speech." Representative John McComish, District 20 “If young people aren’t involved in the political process, then we will have a government that makes decisions for them, not with them.” Representative Marian McClure, District 30 "As a long time proponent of young people being engaged in the political process, I am proud to support the efforts of the Arizona Student Vote Coalition to encourage 18-30 year olds to register and vote." Representative Barbara McGuire, District 23 "Young people are the pillar of our future. This year, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to strengthen our democracy by involving more young people than ever before." Representative Nancy McLain, District 3 "By encouraging young people to participate in the political process today, we are investing in the future of our democracy." Representative John Nelson, District 12 "The biggest right you have is the right to vote. If you don't use it, our founders' efforts were in vain." Representative Lynne Pancrazi, District 24 "Our youth are the future of our country and we need to make sure they are informed and involved in the democratic process that makes the United States so great." Representative Pete Rios, District 23 "There is no cause more noble than making sure that our democracy remains strong by encouraging young people to get involved." Representative Andy Tobin, District 1 "As a legislator, a citizen, and a parent of five children, I couldn't be any more certain that the participation of our youth in our political process is crucial. That is why I am supporting the efforts of the non-partisan Arizona Student Vote Coalition to ensure young people register and vote." Representative Jackie Thrasher, District 10 “Your vote is your voice and even if your candidate doesn’t win, it’s the message that changes the debate. Without participating we stand to lose the delicate balance that makes democracy a reality.” Representative Theresa Ulmer, District 24 "Making sure young people are engaged in the political process is the first step towards strengthening our democracy in the future." Representative Jerry Weiers, District 12 "The laws we pass today will have a profound impact on the lives of young people in the future. That is why I'm supporting the Arizona Student Vote Coalition's efforts to involve our youth." House Speaker Jim Weiers, District 10 "I hope the young people who are now coming of voting age plan to use their right this year. Arizona has made it easy to both vote and learn about the candidates and ballot propositions. Voting is the easiest and best way to get involved in our community." http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/quotes-from-arizona-legislators-on-behalf-of-the-arizona-student-vote-coalition Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:39:12 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/members-of-the-arizona-legislature-that-support-the-arizona-student-vote-coalition Senator Aboud Senator Aguirre Senator Carolyn Allen Senator Sylvia Allen Senator Bee Senator Burns Senator Burton-Cahill Senator Gould Senator Linda Gray Senator Huppenthal Senator Leff Senator Luis Garcia Senator McCune-Davis Senator O'Halleran Senator Rios Representative Ableser Representative Alvarez Representative Anderson Representative Barnes Representative Barto Representative Bradley Representative Brown Representative Burges Representative Jennifer Burns Representative Cajero Bedford Representative Chad Campbell Representative Chabin Representative Farley Representative Funkhouser Representative Gallardo Representative Garcia Representative Kavanagh Representative Konopnicki Representative Lopes Representative Lopez Representative Lujan Representative Mason Representative McClure Representative McComish Representative McGuire Representative McLain Representative Meza Representative Nelson Representative Pancrazi Representative Pearce Representative Reagan Representative Rios Representative Robson Representative Sinema Representative Stump Representative Thrasher Representative Tobin Representative Ulmer Representative Jim Weiers Representative Jerry Weiers Representative Young Wright http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/members-of-the-arizona-legislature-that-support-the-arizona-student-vote-coalition Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:42:58 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/the-student-pirgs-new-voters-project The Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project is America’s oldest and largest nonpartisan youth voter mobilization program. We started the project in 1984, after witnessing an alarming decrease in youth voter turnout over the previous decade. Over the last twenty years, we developed our theory of the “cycle of mutual neglect” to help explain why youth voter turnout was so weak. In a nutshell, politicians tend to target voters who already have a track record of voting. Since young people do not have that track record, political campaigns spend most of their resources on older voters. In return, young people perceive that politics is not relevant to their concerns and opt out of participating in the process, which reinforces the conventional political wisdom that young people do not vote. In 2004, the Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project ran in Arizona (working closely with the Arizona Students’ Association and student governments at the state universities) and over 20 other states, registering 500,000 young voters and making an additional 500,000 personalized Election Day reminders—the largest nonpartisan youth turnout effort in the nation’s history. A study on our project found that our work had a significant impact on turnout. Youth voter turnout in 2004 increased by 11 percentage points—almost three times more than the general population. This was the largest single election spike since 1992. The increases of 2004 have sustained themselves for several years, leading us to cautiously anticipate that we may be on the verge of a major breakthrough. Young voter turnout increased in the 2006 mid-term elections and again during the 2008 primaries. Turnout in the 2008 primaries has been particularly spectacular; many states saw youth turnout double and triple over 2004 primary turnout. There are likely several reasons why youth turnout is finally increasing. For 20 years, increasing numbers of young people have engaged in volunteer activities that have created a fertile climate for civic engagement. Since 2000, the political climate has polarized, elections are very close and therefore the stakes are higher and more people overall are engaged in the outcome. As the elections became tighter, political campaigns looked for non-traditional ways to get an edge over their opponent—precisely at the same time as all the studies on our work came out showing the effectiveness of person-to-person organizing over conventional one-way outreach. Subsequently, the campaigns adopted many of our techniques that, combined with the continuation of our efforts, resulted in more young people being targeted than ever before. Finally, add in the star power factor of many of the candidates and you have an explosive mix. The result is that the underlying impulse to be civically engaged that had previously only been expressed through apolitical volunteerism finally spilled over into the political arena. However, if a permanent upward trend is emerging, it is fragile at best. The political establishment might be waking up to the value of young voters, but it will take a lot more than one or two election cycles to eliminate twenty years of cynicism towards the youth vote. This year the Arizona Student Vote Coalition and the Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project will target over 1.5 million students on over 100 campuses in over 20 states. We are shooting to get at least 65% of our target population out to vote on Election Day. By way of comparison, about 57% of college students voted in 2004. To do this, we first will need to register between twenty and fifty percent of our target population to vote – or secure between 300,000 and 700,000 new registrations. Then, once the registration deadlines pass, we will call, table and canvass at least 300,000 registered students right before Election Day to remind them to vote. http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/the-student-pirgs-new-voters-project Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:31:34 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/twenty-states-not-enforcing-federal-laws-on-voter-lists A new survey of state laws and election officials shows that, on the eve of the 2008 general election, twenty states do not have laws, regulations or systems in place to properly implement a federally mandated 90-day pre-Election Day ban on systemic voter list purges. The survey, Vanishing Voters, was conducted during the summer of 2008 by the Arizona PIRG Education Fund. “In a close election, this is a potentially outcome changing problem,” said Diane E. Brown, Executive Director of the Arizona PIRG Education Fund. “Almost half the voters in the country, including voters in the battleground states of Nevada, Colorado, and Ohio, live in states where the rules are not enforced.” The report notes that voters who are improperly dropped from the rolls are entitled to fill out provisional ballots on Election Day. However, in 2004 approximately 850,000 provisional ballots were not counted. The problem of provisional ballots could be reduced if voter rolls were properly maintained. The study also found: • Nine states claim that there is no deadline beyond which voters cannot be systematically dropped from the rolls, a direct contradiction of the terms of the NVRA. • Five states have their own legal deadlines—all of which are less than the federally mandated 90 days. • Twelve states do not have the proper systems in place for notifying voters who have been removed from the rolls if they are believed to have moved out of the precinct. The survey included a review of relevant state laws and interviews with each Secretary of State’s office or other state office responsible for handling elections. “Removing a legal voter from the rolls is a suspension of that voter's civil liberties,” said Brown. “The 90-day window for voter roll purges and notification requirements in the NVRA are essential safeguards that states must enforce in order to protect the rights of their citizens, ensure the legitimacy of elections, and encourage citizen participation.” The report made several recommendations. Among the most important: • States should assess their own compliance and immediately take steps to ensure they are following the law. States that are not currently complying with the NVRA should observe how other states’ have done so in order to transition to compliance in the most efficient way. • Each state’s Secretary of State or chief election administrator should send a letter to election officers and local officials explaining and clarifying the rules. • The Department of Justice must enforce the NVRA. • States must properly train registration staff in order to reduce the likelihood of improper purging. • States should be prohibited from purging a voter from the rolls unless his or her name, address, sex, and phone number match the person whom should be removed. http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/twenty-states-not-enforcing-federal-laws-on-voter-lists Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:34:30 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/the-arizona-student-vote-coalition Young voter turnout is vital to our democracy because: http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/the-arizona-student-vote-coalition Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:19:22 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/know-your-rights If you have any problems when you go to vote, call 1.866.OUR.VOTE to report your problems and get advice on what to do. Here are some things to keep in mind when you go vote: Take ID To the Polls Arizona requires that voters must have ID at the time that they cast their ballot. Voters may use a valid Arizona driver license, a valid Arizona non-operating identification license, a tribal enrollment card or other form of tribal ID, or any valid United States federal, state, or local government issued identification. There are additional methods of showing your identification, and they are listed on the Arizona Secretary of State’s website - http://www.azsos.gov/ What To Do if Your Name Isn't On the List Do not panic if you registered to vote but your name is not on the list. Get help from a poll worker to make sure your vote is counted. You should do the following: (1) check to see if you should be at another polling place; (2) as a last resort, you can fill out a provisional ballot at your polling location. What’s a Provisional Ballot? These ballots are intended to make sure that voters whose eligibility is in question on Election Day can still cast a vote and have their vote be counted. You would use a provisional ballot if you are having ID problems and/or appear to have been purged incorrectly. The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) requires that provisional ballots be counted if the voter is eligible to vote by state law, but some election officials have applied standards for counting provisional ballots that are unrelated to voter eligibility. Voting by provisional ballot should be your last resort. The state must notify you as to whether your ballot was counted. What To Do If You're Confused Look at the signs at the polling place for directions on how to use the voting machine, a list of your voting rights, and instructions for filing a complaint if your rights have been violated, as well as when to ask for a new ballot if yours is “spoiled.” You can also ask any of the poll workers to help you. If you are at the wrong place, they should tell you how to get to the right one. Once You're In Line, You're Good Once you are in line, you can vote. Just make sure you are in line before your polling place closes. You probably will not have to wait too long. Even if the line is long, do not leave without voting. Remember, this is your chance to make politicians pay attention to young voters! If you are worried about long lines, try go to the polls during off hours: 10 a.m.–11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.– 3:30 p.m. Also, Arizona has early voting, so you can vote before Election Day. See your county’s Board of Elections webpage for more details. http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/know-your-rights Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:35:23 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/voting-101 The Problem Until the recent turnaround witnessed during the 2004 elections, voting rates among youth had steadily declined since 18 year-olds first won the right to vote in 1972. Yet, even with these encouraging increases in turnout, overall youth voter turnout remains too low. For example, less than half of eligible young people voted in 2004, compared to nearly 70 percent of voters forty-five and older. It is critical to significantly boost youth voting for three key reasons. First, young people are the generation that will be most impacted by our most pressing issues (global warming, college affordability and health care) and by engaging them now it is more likely that they will be a driving force towards the solutions to these issues. Second, youth are a big and growing portion of the electorate (nearly 25% in 2008) and as such have the potential to make big impacts on these issues. Third, youth voting habits are formed early - getting more young people to vote now results in a more active citizenry in the future. Why Don’t Young People Vote? Surveys indicate many reasons why young people are not voting. They feel it does not make a difference, they are not registered, they do not have enough information, or there is not enough time. Two explanations for low turnout rates among young people have been bringing social scientists and practitioners together – one, that young people are seldom the focus of campaign messages, and two, that they are rarely the focus of person-to-person mobilization campaigns. Studies by Yale Political Science Professors Don Green and Alan Gerber suggest that a large-scale peer-to-peer effort of voter contact targeted at young people can make a significant difference in the turnout rate of young voters, increasing youth turnout by 5 to 8 percentage points among those registered voters who are contacted. However, in order to conduct peer-to-peer contact operations and increase youth turnout on a significant scale, it is necessary to first increase the pool of eligible voters, through a big, targeted voter registration drive. Why Young Voters Are Ignored Political campaign strategies emphasize a focus on voters that 1) will have a reliable voter turnout for a particular candidate, and 2) will be likely to turn out and vote for that particular candidate. This has been the conventional wisdom of campaigns for many years, and each year as youth voter turnout declines, that rationale, and a vicious “cycle of neglect” are further perpetuated: because young people don’t vote, campaigns feel they shouldn’t waste resources targeting young voters, which only leads to continued disengagement of young voters. During the 2000 general election, for example, despite the $3 billion pumped into the campaign economy by Democrats and Republicans, not even one presidential campaign advertisement targeted young voters. But things are looking up. Of the approximately $4 billion spent in the 2004 election cycle, it is estimated that $50 million was targeted towards young voters – a mere fraction of the total dollars spent, but the most ever targeted by organizations, political parties and candidates towards young people. With an 11 percentage point increase in turnout, it seems that those who spent resources on the youth vote saw a significant return on their investment. Why Young Voters Shouldn’t be Ignored Young voters will play a critical role in the 2008 elections. Not only are they turning out to the polls in increasing numbers, but young people (18-31 year olds) represent nearly one-quarter of the national electorate. The evidence also shows that outreach works - especially when it is peer to peer. That is where the Arizona Student Voter Coalition comes in – using our time tested and academically reviewed peer-to-peer methods to mobilize youth. An analysis of our work found that young people contacted by the Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project turned out at a rate 13 percentage points higher than a group of demographically similar individuals who also registered to vote within six months of the election. http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/voting-101 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:46:27 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/vote-coalition-contacts-over-9600-students-across-the-state-by-election-day http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/vote-coalition-contacts-over-9600-students-across-the-state-by-election-day Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:27:10 -0500 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/vote-coalition-to-contact-over-10000-students-before-election-day Students http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/vote-coalition-to-contact-over-10000-students-before-election-day Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:30:27 -0500 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/coalition-launches-campaign-to-increase-youth-voter-turnout-in-arizona http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/coalition-launches-campaign-to-increase-youth-voter-turnout-in-arizona Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:42:01 -0500