197 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 65 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing Summarizing
OpEdNews Op Eds   

How to Get the Young Voters to Turn Out

By       (Page 1 of 1 pages)   No comments

Robert Weiner
Follow Me on Twitter     Message Robert Weiner
Become a Fan
  (6 fans)

Opinion originally published in The Washington Post

Regarding the editorial "An investment in democracy":

Getting the youth vote requires work and identifying key issues.

Young people turned out in 1972 with the highest percentage of eligible voters (55 percent). It was the first opportunity for 18- to 21-year-olds to vote since the 26th Amendment was passed in 1971. The main reason for the high turnout was clear: Young people did not want to die in Vietnam, a war they did not understand or believe in.

The Democratic National Committee's national voter registration drive at the famed Watergate headquarters, through the Young Democrats office, did a youth vote campaign of posters, fliers, varied events and news conferences in each state, recruited rock stars as well as state and local organizers everywhere (with charts and lists for follow-up), generated sponsors, and did youth voter registration ads on thousands of targeted radio stations. I remember later DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe asking me, 'How did we do it?' I said, 'It was a lot of work,' and I laid out the specifics. (We had an invited exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of American History for 30 years after the election.)

As part of the national youth vote effort, we also did a youth vote forum, attended by hundreds of young organizers, in Delaware in 1972 for Joe Biden's first Senate run. The 29-year-old Biden upset two-term senator Caleb Boggs by 3,162 votes, the year's closest Senate race. The lesson for the upcoming midterm elections is clear.

This year, young people care about climate change with the planet at stake, school gun deaths, abortion choice, student loans, jobs, rent prices escalating, inflation, the survival of our democracy and a lot more. Bringing those issues home requires tremendous effort from both parties.

In addition to serving as a White House and congressional spokesman, Weiner was the national youth voter registration director for the Young Democrats and the Democratic National Committee's National Voter Registration Drive in 1971 and 1972.

*This version reflects the full text submitted to the Post and differs slightly from the edited version.

Rate It | View Ratings

Robert Weiner Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Robert Weiner, NATIONAL PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND ISSUES STRATEGIST Bob Weiner, a national issues and public affairs strategist, has been spokesman for and directed the public affairs offices of White House Drug Czar and Four Star General Barry (more...)
 

Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Follow Me on Twitter     Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter

Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

To Beat China, Russia, India, and Japan in New Space Race, We Need Political Will to Get Back Where We Were 50 Years Ago

Why Do Conservatives Vote Against Their Own Interest?

Mueller's End Game: Maybe As Soon As Trump Wants, But Not How He'd Like

Jeb Bush's Elephant in the Room: Role in Bush v. Gore Recount

Food Stamp Myth Busting

Iran: Nuclear Weapons or Peaceful Energy?

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend