Tools from Rock the Vote

In addition to voter mobilization work,

Rock the Vote is a trusted expert
on young voters and provides tools
for campaigns, candidates and
nonprofits to help them politically
engage young adults. Tools include:

Handbooks & Tipsheets

Winning Young Voters: Our premier campaign

handbook. Use this to plan your young voter
outreach.
Young Voter Registration and Turnout Trends:
Your one-stop source for facts on 18-29 year
olds registration and turnout trends from
2000-2008, by race, gender, education level,
income, and more.
Targeting Young Voters: Results of our young
voter modeling project, including practical tips
on using the results. With Greenberg Quinlan
Rosner Research and Public Opinion Strategies.
(Spring 2008)
Young Voter Mobilization Tactics II: Case
studies of seven 2006 campaigns and how
they targeted young voters as part of winning
electoral strategies. From our partners at Young
Voter Strategies.
Young Voter Mobilization Tactics I: A summary
of the research-tested best practices for youth
get-out-the-vote. From our partners at Young
Voter Strategies and CIRCLE.
Tipsheets: Top Ten Tips to Mobilize Young Voters,
New Media Tactics series, and more.

Campaign Trainings

Sign up for a Winning Young Voters

campaign training conducted by a Rock the
Vote young voter mobilization expert. Trainings
are designed for political parties, campaigns
and organizations interested in bringing young
adults into their programs.

Online Voter
Registration Tool

Rock the Vote has an innovative, easy-to-use

tool for online voter registration that can be
placed on any website, blog or social network
page. Get it at www.rockthevote.com/partners
and you can start registering voters online
right away. The tool is free and available to
everyone.

Opinion Research

Rock the Vote Young Voter Polls and Focus

Groups
February 2008 Poll of 18-29 year olds political
attitudes, presidential vote choice, party
identification, and issue concerns, conducted
by Lake Research Partners and The Tarrance
Group.
October 2007 Focus groups of young voters in
five cities, conducted by Lake and Tarrance.
October 2007 Poll of 18-29 year olds political
attitudes and issue concerns, conducted with
Sacred Heart University and WWEs Smackdown
Your Vote.
2006 Three polls of 18-30 year olds political
attitudes, communications habits, vote
choice, and issue concerns, conducted in
April, September, and November by Lake and
Tarrance.
Polling Young Voters Reports A monthly
publication of Rock the Vote that summarizes
the latest 18-29 year old results from other
organizations and media outlets public
polling.

Find these tools and more at www.RocktheVote.com

or contact Rock the Vote at 202-719-9910

Winning Young Voters

Rock the Votes handbook for campaigns,
political parties and organizations
that want to engage young voters in their campaigns.

Table of Contents
Introduction: Young Voters A Political Powerhouse.................... 2
Why Target Young Voters?.............................................................. 3
Who Are Young Voters?.................................................................. 4

About the Millennial Generation

Diverse demographics

How to Find & Mobilize Young Voters I Voter Registration.......... 8

Best practices and tips

How to Find & Mobilize Young Voters II Get Out the Vote.........12

Best practices and tips

How to Talk to Young Voters . ........................................................16

Top issues

Tips

Messaging that works

Case Studies . ...............................................................................18

How campaigns targeted the youth vote and won

Conclusion: Winning Young Voters in 2008 and Beyond.............19

About Rock the Vote.....................................................................20

Young Voters:
A Political Powerhouse
In 2008, candidates who want to
win in November must target young
voters as part of their campaign
strategies. Winning Young Voters
tells you how to do that.

The 2008 primaries and caucuses solidified

young voters power at the polls.

18-29 Year Old Primary

Turnout in 2008
*As of March 5th, where data available

Young voters are playing an increasingly

significant role in American elections. After
decades of declining turnout, todays young
adults, the Millennial Generation, are emerging
as a political powerhouse voting in record
numbers and playing a deciding role in close
elections.
Numbering 44 million citizens in 2008, todays
18-29 year olds are voting in growing numbers.
Turnout among 18-29 year olds increased by
millions in both 2004 and 2006:

2004 vs. 2000

turnout of young voters
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

2002 vs. 2006

turnout of young voters
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

To Win Elections Today

Young voters are a huge group: More than
one-fifth of the electorate is between 18-29
years of age, a total of 44 million potential
voters.
Young = new: In a close race, new, young
voters can make the winning difference.
Theyre voting: Despite the long-standing
conventional wisdom that young adults
dont vote, todays 18-29 year olds are
turning out in large and growing numbers.

Eighteen to 29 year old voters doubled and

tripled their turnout in virtually every primary
and caucus of the 2008 cycle.1 Overall, young
voter turnout increased 109% in states where
comparisons are possible more than double.2
Not only are young adults voting in record
numbers, this group of voters is making the
difference in elections around the country. In
2006, the youth vote was the winning margin
in several congressional and Senate contests,
including Montana, Virginia and Missouri; in
2008, young adults propelled the winners to
victory on both sides of the aisle in many states,
including Iowa, Georgia and California.3

It works: Young adults can be registered

and turned out in cost-effective ways that fit
right into your campaigns overall strategy.
And young voters, like all voters, are attracted
to candidates that reach out to them.
Theyll vote in big numbers in 2008, its just a
question of who will get their votes.

To Build Long-Term
Political Power
Partisan loyalty develops during the youth
vote years: Reams of academic research
show a young voters first presidential vote
and party pick influence their party choice
for decades.
Voting is a habit: The strongest predictor
of whether a person will vote is whether or
not they have voted before. Winning young
voters the first time pays dividends for years
to come.

The party that wins the youth

vote today is on track to
dominate elections for decades
to come.

Young voters can make the

winning difference in tight races.
TODAYS VOTERS: HOW GENERATION INFLUENCES PARTY4

In 2008, candidates who want to win will need

to court young voters. Use this handbook as
a tool to do just that. Target young voters to
win today and to build a powerful base for
generations to come.

In fact, in 2004, the number of 18-29 year

old voters (20.1 million) rivaled the size of
the much-coveted over-65 electorate (22.3
million). (U.S. Census Bureau)

Why target young voters?

Rock the Vote and CIRCLE tabulations of CNN exit

polls and reported vote totals by state.
As of March 5, 2008. Figures are Rock the
Vote tabulations of 2008 exit polls and CIRCLE
tabulations of 2000 and 2004 vote totals.
For 2006 case studies, see Young Voter Strategies
Young Voter Mobilization Tactics Volume II; for
2008 examples, see Rock the Votes post-Super
Tuesday press release at www.RockTheVote.com

4 Original Chart by Bill Marsh at the New York Times and the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

Who are young voters?

About the
Millennial
Generation

The Millennial Generation those

born between 1977 and 1997 - is
the largest American generation
since the Baby Boomers.4 Today,
Millennials are ages 11 to 31 and
number 78 million citizens.5 Within
that, the young voter cohort those
between 18 and 29 years of age
numbers 44 million.6

About one-quarter of 18-30 year olds use

communications such as Facebook or
instant messaging.7

Young volunteers are fueling political

campaigns, too. In 2006, campaign
strategists for several winners Senator Jon
Tester, Congressman Joe Courtney, and
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, to name
a few credited young voters and volunteers
for helping fuel their victories. In the 2008
primaries, the story is magnified ten-fold. Young
adults are driving the successes of many
primary campaigns in 2008.

Race & Ethnicity of Young Voters

(18-29) in Presidential Elections

70 percent of 18-30 year olds use the Internet

daily and two-thirds check their email daily;

Young adults are taking action on key issues

in communities and on campuses all across
the country. From the 5,000-person Power Shift
summit on climate change in Maryland in 2007
to the 2,000-person march for voting rights in
Prairie View, Texas in 2008, young adults arent
sitting on the sidelines of the most important
fights theyre leading them.

Sixty-one percent of Millennial adults are white,

17 percent are Hispanic, 15 percent are black,
and 4 percent are Asian. In comparison, 84
percent of Americans over 65 years of age
are white. Millennial voters are also a diverse
group, and becoming increasingly so:9

88 percent of 18-29 year olds are online

(compared to 32 percent of those 65 and
older);

Politically Engaged

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Baby

Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) number
78.2 million.
Rock the Vote tabulations of the U.S. Census
Bureau Current Population Survey, March 2007.
Ibid

Diverse

Todays 18 year olds began kindergarten in

1995, when encyclopedias were going the way
of the eight-track. Cell phones, text messages,
email, instant messages, and online social
networks are how young adults communicate
today.
According to The Pew Research Center:

Millennials are defining themselves

as a politically engaged, tech-savvy,
and diverse generation.

Tech-Savvy

And while the digital divide persists, it is

lessening with this generation 67 percent
of 18-29 year old Latinos and 77 percent of
African Americans are online.

Economically Insecure
Debt and living paycheck-to-paycheck is a fact
of life for todays young adults. Over the past
decade, college costs, health insurance, and
housing costs have soared. About two-thirds of
college students graduate with debt, with the
average graduate owing $20,000,8 and many
single adults have a hard time making ends
meet on one income.

Race & Ethnicity of Young Voters

(18-29) in MIDTERM Elections

A February Rock the Vote poll found that in

2008 the economy and jobs have surpassed
the war in Iraq as 18-29 year olds top issue of
concern, followed closely by health care and
education costs. Clearly, todays young adults
are having a hard time making ends meet in a
difficult economy.

7
8

Rock the Vote poll with Lake Research Partners

and The Tarrance Group, May 2006.
The College Board, 2006 Trends in Higher
Education Series: Student Debt.

Charts are from Young Voter Registration and

Turnout Trends, by Rock the Vote and CIRCLE,
2008.

Who are young voters?

Diverse Demographics
As noted, young voters are a very
diverse group and certainly not
monolithic in their political attitudes.
Below we provide a snapshot of
the characteristics of young voters
overall as well as several subgroups.

Young Voters
Size: There are 44 million 18-29 year old citizens
in the U.S.,10 one-fifth of the electorate. Todays
18-29 year olds are part of the Millennial
Generation, the biggest generation since the
Baby Boomers.

Young African-Americans

Young Women

Size: There are 6.3 million African-American

citizens between the ages of 18 and 29. (U.S.
Census)

Size: There are 22 million women between the

ages of 18 and 29 eligible to vote in the U.S.
(U.S. Census)

Issues: According to Rock the Vote polling, this

groups top issues are jobs and the economy,
Iraq, education and the cost of college, and
health care and prescription drugs.

Issues: According to Rock the Vote polling, this

groups top issues are jobs and the economy,
followed by health care, education and the
cost of college, and Iraq.

Voting: In 2004, under-25 African-Americans

increased their turnout by 11 points and voted
at rates as high as the overall age group for the
first time in decades. Turnout went up again in
2006. (RTV-CIRCLE)

Voting: Young women vote at higher rates than

their male peers. In fact, in 2004 young women
led the overall young voter turnout increase,
jumping 10 percentage points over 2000 levels.
(RTV-CIRCLE)

Party ID: 73% Democrat, 6% Republican, and

15% Independent. (RTV poll)

Party ID: 55% Democrat, 26% Republican,

and 19% Independent. When marital status is
considered, the gap in identification decreases.
Forty-eight percent of young married women
identify as Democrats, 40% as Republicans, and
5% as Independents. (RTV poll)

Issues: According to Rock the Vote polling,

young voters top issues are jobs and the
economy, followed by Iraq, education and the
cost of college, and health care.11

Young Men

Voting: In 2004, young voter turnout jumped by

nine percentage points or 4.3 million votes
over 2000 levels. Again in 2006, turnout was up
this time by 1.9 million over 2002 levels.12 And
in the 2008 primaries, 18-29 year olds turnout
doubled and tripled in nearly ever contest.13

Size: There are 22 million men between the

ages of 18 and 29 eligible to vote in the U.S.
(U.S. Census)
Issues: According to Rock the Vote polling,
young mens top issues are jobs and the
economy, followed by Iraq, health care, gas
prices, and immigration.

Party ID: 47% Democrat, 28% Republican, and

16% Independent.14

Young Latinos
Size: There are 5.6 million Latino citizens
between 18 and 29 in the U.S. Young Latinos
are the largest and fastest-growing racial or
ethnic subset of young adults; 50,000 turn 18
each month. (U.S. Census)

10 Rock the Vote tabulations of the U.S. Census

Bureau Current Population Survey, March 2007.
11 Rock the Vote 2008 February 2008 poll of 18-29
year olds.
12 Young Voter Registration and Turnout Trends.
CIRCLE and Rock the Vote. February 2008.
13 Rock the Vote and CIRCLE tabulations based on
2000, 2004, and 2008 CNN exit polls and reported
vote totals.
14 Rock the Vote 2008 February 2008 poll of 18-29
year olds.

Issues: According to Rock the Vote polling,

young Latinos top issues are immigration, jobs
and the economy, the environment and global
warming, and Iraq.
Voting: In 2004, turnout among 18-29 year old
Latinos jumped six percentage points. In other
words, 1.1 million more Latinos under 30 voted
than had in 2000. (RTV-CIRCLE)
Party ID: 51% Democrat, 21% Republican, and
19% as Independent. (RTV poll)

Voting: Young mens voter turnout lags behind

young womens, but men have also increased
their turnout in the past two elections. In 2004,
participation among men under 30 jumped by
almost 8 points over 2000 levels; in 2006, their turnout grew by 3 points over 2002 levels. (RTV-CIRCLE)
Party ID: 38% Democrat, 30% Republican, and
22% Independent. (RTV poll)

Young Democrats
Size: Approximately 47% of 18-29 year olds
identify as Democrats, an estimated 20 million
young adults.
Issues: According to Rock the Vote polling,
young Democrats top issues are jobs and
the economy, Iraq, education and the cost of
college, health care, and the environment and
global warming.

Voting: Up until the 2004

election, 18-29 year olds
were evenly divided between the
two political parties in terms of vote
choice. However, young adults began to vote
increasingly Democratic in 2004.
In 2004, under-30 voters were the only age
group John Kerry won: 54% of 18-29 year olds
voted for Kerry and 45% for George W. Bush.15
In 2006, 58% of 18-29 year olds chose
Democratic congressional candidates. (RTVCIRCLE)
In 2008, about two and a half times as many
18-29 year olds have voted in Democratic
primaries compared to Republican
primaries.16

Young Republicans
Size: Approximately 28% of 18-29 year olds
identify as Republicans, an estimated 12 million
young adults.
Issues: According to Rock the Vote polling,
young Republicans top issues are jobs and
the economy, immigration, gas prices, health
care, terrorism and homeland security, and the
budget deficit.
Voting: While the GOP is facing decreasing
support from young voters, the energy and
loyalty of young Republicans bodes well for
their commitment to the party in 2008 and
beyond.
In 2008, young Republican turnout increased
in almost every primary, as did young adults
share of the overall Republican vote.17
Young Republicans are paying close
attention to the 2008 election, and the vast
majority reports a high level of favorability
toward and intent to vote for the partys
nominee, John McCain. (RTV poll)

15 National Election Pool Exit Poll, 2004.

16 As of March 5, 2008. From Rock the Votes
Young Voter Turnout 2008 - Primaries and
Caucuses factsheet.
17 Ibid

How to find & mobilize young voters I:

Voter Registration
Registration is the best get-out-thevote tactic around: in 2004, 82% of
registered 18-29 year olds voted.18
If youre in a tight race and need a
way to create more votes, register
young adults. Its cost-effective and
it works.
Online, you can register a
new young voter for $2-10 per
registration application.19
By direct mail, you can
generate a new registration
application for $5-7 per
person.20
In person on campus and
at events volunteers can
generate new registrations
at very little cost and paid
staff can for $8-15 per
registration.21
Bonus Tip: Registration builds
lists. By registering voters you
can ID new supporters and
collect contact info that
will be crucial to running
persuasion, education, or GOTV efforts.

Registration Tactics That Work

The rule of thumb for voter registration is to
go where young people spend their time at
home, at school, online, or in communities
and ask them to register to vote.

Online

22

More than 80% of 18-29 year olds are

online regularly. With a few simple
techniques you can register large
numbers of young adults online for
relatively little cost. Here are a few
ways to do this:

Your Website
Your first step should be to
put Rock the Votes online
voter registration tool on
your website, blog, and social
network pages. Its free and
easy. You can sign up for
your own widget at www.
RocktheVote.com/partners
and start registering voters
online right away.

High-Traffic Sites: The online voter

registration tool can also be posted to blogs,
MySpace profiles, and Facebook fan pages.
If you have these (and you should), put the
widget up there and message your friends
as deadlines approach.

Social Networks

The best news - you collect

the contact information of
anyone who uses the widget
to register to vote on your
website - an instant GOTV or
volunteer outreach list.
Tips for online registration:
Promote It: Promoting registration on
your site is key email your lists, place the
Register to Vote button in a prominent
location, post voter registration updates and
deadlines in your Latest News section or
on your blog, or challenge your friends and
colleagues to a registration contest.
Timing Matters: Promote registration
prominently on your website as deadlines
approach.

18 U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey,

Voting and Registration Supplement November
2004.
19 Rock the Vote online registration test results.
20 Results from Rock the Vote re-registration direct
mail experiments, 2007-2008, conducted by MSHC
Partners.
21 Estimates based on field experiences of youth
vote organizations. Cost depends on staff wages.

approach and plug registration on your

website when doing TV or radio or speaking
at events. Make sure to include a Register
your Friends link.

Make it Visible: Put the button on your front

page or blog, and regularly promote it in
your Latest News section so that visitors are
reminded to register.

Millions of young voters spend a lot of time

on social networks MySpace, Facebook,
MiGente, BlackPlanet and more. Make sure to
set up a profile on the key networks ask your
young staff and volunteers which ones (or
contact Rock the Vote) and designate one
of those younger staff members to make sure
the site is constantly updated and integrated
with your campaigns overall online organizing
strategy.

Online
Advertising
Internet Ads: For $2-10
per registration, you can places ads
on youth-oriented websites and generate
registrations that way.23 Figure out which
websites are most heavily visited by your
target demographic (for instance, ESPN.
com for men, People.com for women) and
place a Register to Vote Today ad that links
back to your website.
Search Advertising: With Google, MSN, or
Yahoo search advertising you can advertise
your campaign website and generate
registrations for less than $5 each.24 With
geographic targeting you can opt to only
show your ads in the states, cities, or zip
codes that are most important to your
campaign. Advertise on search phrases
like register to vote, voting information,
elections, or your candidates name.
Facebook Advertising: With simple text and
image ads you can register young voters
on Facebook for $5 - $10.25 You can choose
to show the ads in the states, cities, or even
colleges you are targeting, as well as by
demographic characteristics, and you only
pay when people click the ad. Find out
more at http://www.facebook.com/ads

voter registration continued...

Post a link to your websites voter registration

from all of these sites (or put a widget on there,
too) and make sure your profile or page is
highlighting upcoming registration deadlines,
campaign events, and more.

Reminders: Email your list as deadlines

22 Winning Young Voters - New Media Tactics I,

forthcoming from Rock the Vote, spring 2008.

23 Winning Young Voters - New Media Tactics I,

forthcoming from Rock the Vote, spring 2008.
24 Ibid
25 Ibid

Events & Community Hubs

Direct Mail

Work with 2-3 keyed-in young people

on your campaign to map out
where to find the most young people
for event or site-based registration.
Brainstorm out the places where
young adults hang out in the area
and put together a plan to hit them
with volunteers and clipboards.

Despite what you might assume,

direct mail is a very effective way to
register young adults to vote.

Sites: Bars, clubs, coffee shops, theaters,

social services offices, transit centers, houses
of worship, barber shops, and city parks are
all great places to find young adults.

How To
List: Buy or build a list of 18-29 year olds
addresses. Make sure your mail vendor
performs a change-of-address update
before sending the mail young people
move a lot.

On Campus
College campuses are the best places to find
a lot of young people. Working with student
volunteers, there are many opportunities to
register young voters on campus:
Class and group presentations: Student
groups and large classes are great places to
register new voters. Work with volunteers on
campus to set up these presentations. You
can expect to register about 15% of each
class.
Tabling: Get a few volunteers, grab some
clipboards, and ask passersby in high-traffic
areas to register to vote. Volunteers can
expect to register about 5 people per hour.

Events: Fairs, festivals, concerts, outdoor

movies, and other events tend to draw a lot
of young adults.

Events: Hold an event on campus bring

the candidate, posters, volunteers and music
and register the crowd. Each volunteer
can expect to register 4-5 people per hour.

At big events or high traffic sites, one volunteer

Dorm storms: Volunteers can go door-tocan register about five 18-29 year-old voters
door in dorms and generate from 5-10
per hour. For example, if 2 volunteers registered
registrations per hour.
voters at an event
for 3 hours, they
Keep in mind that not all
BONUS TIP
would register
colleges look the same. Class
While registering voters, be sure to
about 30 voters.
presentations are the best
collect cell numbers and emails
If they registered
tactic to use at two-year and
so you can add them to your
voters at five events
commuter schools, where
phonebank and email lists. And
or concerts, they
students usually dont live in
ask if they would like to receive text
could register
dorms or hang out on campus
messages from your campaign if
150 voters.
during the day. On four-year
they say yes, you can text them
campuses, tabling, dorm storms,
with GOTV reminders.
and events work well, as do class
presentations.

10

Creative: The mail piece should indicate

clearly it is a voter registration form, contain
a state-specific application on the inside,
and have a pre-printed return address.
Follow Up: If you have emails for your mail
recipients, a reminder note can increase
return rates.

Costs
and Rates
RTVs 2007 test found
that direct mail can generate
a completed registration for $5-7 per
application.
Six percent of those mailed a form
completed the application in Rock the
Votes 2007 test; eight percent returned the
registration form when also sent an email
reminder.

Bonus Tip:
Rock the Vote found that nonpartisan,
official-looking direct mail pieces
have the best rates of return. See below:

Tip: Timing Matters

Upcoming voter registration deadlines,
new school semesters, and 18th
birthdays are all good times to remind
a person to register to vote. Out of all
those, though, deadlines are the best
motivator make sure to do a big push
before your states deadline.

Official Mail Piece

more successful

Targeting
Demographics: Mail is very useful if you
want to target specific demographics.
Consumer data contains all sorts of
information on race, gender, political
leanings, and more.
Movers: Mail is an excellent tool for reregistration. Match voter files or membership
lists to a change of address database and
send a registration form to movers - they
may have forgotten to re-register at their
new address.
New Voters: Tests by Womens Voices. Women Vote. have had great success registering
young women around their 18th birthdays
with birthday card registration mailers.

Branded Mail Piece

less successful

11

How to find & mobilize young voters II:

Get Out the Vote
Studies show that contact from
campaigns significantly increases a
young persons likelihood of turning
out to vote on Election Day. Plus, its
cost-efficient and easy to integrate
with your overall campaign strategy.

GOTV Tactics that Work

Canvassing
You can increase turnout by about 8 points
among those contacted if you have face-toface contact with young adults before Election
Day.

Phone-banking

Text Messaging

You can increase turnout by 3-5 percentage

points among those contacted by reaching
out to young voters through volunteer and paid
phonebanks the week before the election.

A 2006 test found a GOTV text message can

increase young voter turnout by 4 percentage
points.

Calls should be made by a real person, not

a computer.
Callers should emphasize where and when
to vote and the importance of having ones
voice heard.

A door knock can boost turnout by about 8

points for about $25 per additional vote.26
A live phone call increases turnout by 3-5
points for $20-26 per additional vote.27

Keep the tone informal and chatty and more

informational than partisan.

A text message increases turnout by 3-4

points and can be very inexpensive.28

The most effective time to call is from 6-9pm

on weekdays, though weekend days can
also be effective.

Multiple contacts from a campaign can

increase turnout by 10-14 percentage
points.29

In the days leading up to an election, send a

text message reminder to vote to those who
have opted into receiving mobile updates
from your campaign.

GOTV Tip:
Keep young people on your lists
One of the simplest things you can do
is make sure to keep young adults on
your walk and call lists. Vendors often
take them off if they lack a recorded vote
history but keep them on and you can
successfully turn out new, young voters
using traditional campaign tactics.

26 Getting Out the Vote in Local Elections: Results

from Six Door-to-Door Canvassing Experiments,
Donald Green, Alan Gerber, and David Nickerson.
Yale University, November 2003.
27 Getting Out the Youth Vote: Results from
Randomized Field Experiments, Donald Green
and Alan Gerber, Yale University, December 29,
2001 and Volunteer Phone Calls Can Increase
Turnout, David Nickerson, American Politics
Research. Vol 34(3): 271-292, 2006.
28 Text Messaging as a Youth Mobilization Tool,
Allison Dale and Aaron Strauss, April 2007.
29 Voter Registration and Turnout Among College
Students, Richard Niemi and Michael Hanmer.
Prepared for the Annual Meeting of the American
Political Science Association, Philadelphia, PA,
September 2006 and The Effects of an Election
Day Voter Mobilization Campaign Targeting Young
Voters, Donald Green and CIRCLE, September
2004.

12

Keep it simple. For example, use a message

like: Hi Anne! Just a reminder that
TOMORROW is Election Day. Please vote.
TxtVoter.org (sample message from the
2006 Strauss/Dale study)

Timing is important. A recent study shows

that face-to-face contact increases turnout
if done in the two weeks before the election,
but not earlier than that.30
Studies show that other young or older
adults living with young people who are
canvassed also vote at significantly higher
rates (spillover effect).
Make sure to include basic voting
information when canvassing young adults,
such as where and when to vote.

Send messages close to Election Day, or on

it. Messages more than a week out may be
less effective.

Bonus Tip:
Combining a pledge to vote
(either by phone or in person) with a
follow-up get-out-the-vote phone call on
Election Day can increase turnout by 11
percentage points.31

Bonus - texting is inexpensive. Depending on

your system, you can send a text message
GOTV reminder for as little as 5-10 cents.
Texting is a newly discovered successful GOTV
tactic more tips to come as we at Rock the
Vote learn more.

Get Out the Vote Continued...

30 Forget Me Not? The Importance of Timing in Voter

Mobilization, David Nickerson. Paper presented
at the annual meeting of the American Political
Science Association, Philadelphia, PA, 2006.

31 The Effects of an Election Day Voter Mobilization

Campaign Targeting Young Voters, Green and
CIRCLE, 2004.

13

GOTV Tactics
that Dont Work

TV, Radio, and Print Ads

The mainstay of campaigns traditional
advertising can help get young people out
to the polls.

Direct mail

A 2004 study found that Rock the Votes

pre-election ads increased turnout among
young adults by 2 percentage points.32
The cost per additional vote generated,
according to the study, was $14.

Used for get-out-the-vote purposes, direct

mail does not increase voter turnout among
young adults. In general, direct mail, especially
partisan mail, has a very minimal GOTV impact
on voters of any age.34

Other research indicates that TV, radio, and

newspaper ads may have a small (1-2
point) positive impact on voter turnout.33
Run ads where young voters will see and
hear them: top-rated TV shows and networks
for this demographic include Greys
Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Sports Center, Lost,
The Daily Show, MTV, the CW and Comedy
Central. Also run radio ads on local hip hop,
indie rock, or top 40 stations.

(Direct mail is, however, a cost-effective way

to register young people to vote. See previous
section.)

Online
While simply sending an email is not an
effective GOTV tactic (see below), there are
many ways the Internet can be part of an
effective youth GOTV strategy. Some tips on
how to do this:

Email
Email is a useful way to communicate with
voters, but does not have a GOTV impact. You
can send an email to all the people on your list
reminding them to vote, but it doesnt actually
make them more likely to vote.36
(Do note however, that email can be useful
in disseminating voting information polling
place locators, election times, and ID
requirements in the days leading up to an
election.)

Robocalls
Get-out-the-vote robocalls do not increase
young voter turnout, nor do they have much
impact on turnout of voters of any age.35 (Highquality live phone calls, as noted above, do
have a significant impact.)

Information: Where to vote and what to bring

is often confusing for a new voter. Make sure
your website has all the basic information on
how to vote on Election Day polling locations, identification requirements, etc.
Building Lists: A 2006 coordinated
campaign creatively used social networks
to identify new supporters: in 2006, the
Minnesota Democratic Farm Labor Party had
volunteers at 12 colleges and universities
compile lists of potential supporters (based
on profile information). The volunteers then
matched those lists to campus directories
and went door-to-door to get students
registered. Later on, they did GOTV phone
calls and door-knocks.

14

32 Assessing the Turnout Effects of Rock the Votes

2004 Television Commercials: A Randomized Field
Experiment, Donald Green and Lynn Vavreck.
Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science
Association, April 2006.
33 Get Out the Vote, by Donald Green and Alan
Gerber. Pages 131-132. Brookings Institution Press,
Washington, D.C. 2008.

Facebook Events: Create an event on

Facebook and other social networks for
Election Day. Invite your friends and make
sure to ask them to invite theirs. As more
people RSVP to the event their friends will
automatically be told about it, and you
may be able to create a peer-to-peer GOTV
strategy online.

34 Ibid, page 69.

35 Ibid, pages 82-83.

15

36 Does Email Boost Turnout? David Nickerson,

Quarterly Journal of Political Science 2(4), 2007.

How to talk to young voters

Messaging that works

The question of how to talk to young

voters is not that different than how
to talk to voters in general: talk to
them about your plans to tackle the
issues they care about, what youll
do for them and their communities
if elected, and ask for their votes.

Through focus groups, polling, and

work in the field, Rock the Vote knows
what messaging works to motivate
young voters and what doesnt.
Here are the basic dos and donts of
communicating with young voters:

However, young adults do view

issues, politics, and life a little
differently than their parents. Here
are some tips for how to relate:

Talk About Relevant Issues

Rock the Votes most recent poll of 18-29 year
olds37 found that the issues young voters
most want the next president to address are
jobs and the economy, Iraq, health care,
and education costs. Young adults also are
concerned about the environment and global
warming, immigration, and national security.

Top Issues from Feb. 2008 poll

young voters, but talking to them about

your plans to make health care affordable,
accessible, and high-quality for young adults
will certainly get you attention.

Reduce the Rhetoric

Partisanship is pass for young voters. They
want ideas and action, not attack ads and
soundbites. If you have an audience with
young voters whether thats at an event, via a
TV ad, or in an online setting take that time to
talk to them about your plans and ask for their
votes. Dont waste time with party platitudes or
opponent attacks.

Be Real
Young adults are just as smart as any group of
voters theres no need to try and be one of
the kids to get our attention and votes. Just be
yourself.

Treat Them With Respect

Yes, young voters are young, as the description
suggests. But they are adults and their votes
count just as much as anyone elses. Make
sure to avoid stereotyping the youth vote as
kids or irresponsible and apathetic (an
outdated notion, anyway), and not to fall into
the trap of talking to young people as if they
are less worthy of respect than any other group
of voters.

Just Do It

By and large, young adults care about the

same issues that older voters do good news
for a campaign that doesnt want to have
multiple issue agendas. However, make sure to
talk about the issues in ways that are relevant.
For example, you probably dont want to focus
on Social Security and Medicare when meeting

16

37 Rock the Vote 2008 February 2008 poll of 18-29

year olds.

For three decades, there has been a cycle of

mutual neglect between young people and
politicians. Youth turnout was low, and so
candidates didnt reach out to young people.
But young people saw that candidates and
elected officials didnt pay them any heed, and
so became less and less likely to vote.
That cycle of neglect is beginning to be broken
by young people voting and taking action
in record numbers and by candidates and
elected officials engaging young people in
their campaigns and governing. Lets keep
that up its better for our democracy and its
a winning strategy for campaigns. So just do
it go find your young voters (see the previous
section) and ask for their votes!

DO
Talk about the issues and be results-oriented.
Know that you need to appeal to young
voters interests.
Reinforce empowerment - use positive
language about young voter participation.
Use language that builds on young voters
desire to have an impact on issues central to
their lives and to the lives of their friends and
families.
Give them a sense their votes can make a
difference and will be counted.
Ask for their votes.

Messaging Tip #1:

Young people trust sources they view as
unbiased. Hold back on the rhetoric.

DONT
Denigrate young people for apathy or low
voting rates. Not only is this not true anymore,
it can decrease turnout.
Place young people in opposition to older
people.
Assume that young voters know the basics
of registering and voting.
Think young voters will vote just because it is
the right thing to do.
Invoke anger. Theyre looking for solutions,
not complaints.
Forget to ask for their votes.

Messaging Tip #2:

Keep it real. Weve got B.S. meters installed
from birth. Tell us the truth, tell us what
your plan is, and were good to go.

Two examples of
messaging that works38
Your vote can make a difference for people
you care about. Vote for your brothers and
sisters who want to be able to go to college.
Vote for your friends who are in Iraq. Vote
for your children who will need clean air to
breathe and good schools to go to. Vote for
parents so they have social security benefits
and Medicare when they retire. Dont just vote
for yourselfvote for them.
In 2008, your voice will matter. As part of a new
generation of voters, 44 million strong, you have
the power to change politics in this country. Its
up to you to decide who the next president of
United States is. Its up to you to decide if and
when the war will end. Its up to you to decide if
everyone in this country should get healthcare
coverage. Its all up to you, so let your voice be
heard on Election Day.

Bonus Tip:
Keep in mind that these messaging tips
are for the general youth vote cohort.
But as noted earlier, Millennials are
very diverse and made up of many
different groups. Work with your staff
and volunteers and use Rock the
Votes polling on these subgroups39 and
other resources to craft messages that
motivate your target audiences.

17

38 From Rock the Vote focus groups of 18-29 year

olds, conducted by Lake Research Partners and
The Tarrance Group in October 2007.
39 Rock the Vote makes available full crosstabs of all
our polling, as well as our focus group results and
factsheets on key demographic subgroups of the
youth vote. See www.RocktheVote.com.

Working the youth vote works

Case Studies

Conclusion:
Winning young voters in 2008 and beyond

In recent elections, several

campaigns have shown how
targeting young voters can lead to
electoral victory: 40

Young adults are voting. Whether or not you and your

campaign reap the rewards is up to you.

Jon Tester, U.S. Senate, Montana, 2006:

The Tester campaign
and Montana
Coordinated
Campaign ran a
strong field effort that
incorporated youth
outreach. Volunteers
did registration,
persuasion and turnout with students by going
door-to-door, tabling, sponsoring big events, and
holding volunteer phone banks. In addition, the
campaign utilized Facebook and MySpace to
recruit for events and energize volunteers.

Montana: Working the

youth vote works
18-29 turnout 2002: 30,000
18-29 turnout 2006: 65,000
18-29 turnout increase: 35,000
Margin of victory: 3,562

Joe Courtney,
U.S. House, 2006:
Joe Courtney won election
to Connecticuts second
congressional district by 83
votes, and attributes that
victory to increased youth
turnout. During 2006, the
campaign worked with
existing groups to mobilize young volunteers
and voters. The young campaign staff recruited
and trained a bevy of volunteers to do door-todoor registration and GOTV on campus, events
with Representative Courtney, and direct mail
and phone calls to non-college youth. Rep.
Courtney energized youth by engaging on
relevant issues, from college costs to Iraq.

18

40 2006 case studies are excerpted from Young Voter

Strategies Young Voter Mobilization Tactics II,
2007.

Charlie Crist, Florida

Governor, 2006:
With an open gubernatorial
seat and a tight race, student
voters got more attention
this election in Florida
than in other recent races.
Governor Crist reached out on issues relevant
to young Floridians affordable housing,
higher education, and jobs and used online
networking via MySpace and Facebook.
James Webb, U.S. Senate, Virginia 2006:
One of the closest races in 2006 was decided
in part by a huge surge in young voter
turnout. Campus rallies, online outreach, and
coordination with
existing groups
helped mobilize
young voters for the
Webb campaign in
2006. On MySpace,
the campaign used
viral marketing to
build a list of 2,000 friends and turn supporters
and volunteers out to events. Rallies at college
campuses drew large crowds and helped build
the Webb buzz among young voters.

Virginia: Working
the youth vote works
18-29 turnout 2002: 174,000
18-29 turnout 2006: 302,000
18-29 turnout increase: 128,000
Margin of Victory: 9,329
Arnold Schwarzenegger,
California Governor, 2006:
The Schwarzenegger campaign, along with
the state GOPs largest field effort in years,
recruited large numbers of young volunteers
and mobilized young voters through the
Governors statewide bus tour in the fall of
2006. College volunteers staffed phone offices
across the state and the
bus tour registered voters
and recruited supporters
at Motocross races, at the
beach, and on college
campuses.

We all know every vote can make the difference in elections

In 2000, Republicans won Florida and the presidential election by 527
votes.
In 2006, Democrats won Virginia and control of the Senate by 9,329 votes.
and Winning Young Voters gives campaigns the tools to mobilize the 100,
1,000, or 10,000 more votes needed
to win tight races to come.
If you take one thing away from this
handbook, take the idea that you
can and must engage young adults
in your 2008 election to win.
But engaging young voters in your
campaigns can be about far more
than winning 50 percent plus one.
Building a strong youth outreach program into your campaign can just be the
first step in working with your younger constituents.
Young adults bring energy and new ideas to a campaign, and can bring the
same to your time in office. This generation is energized and engaged and
deeply concerned about the top issues of the day after all, theyre the voters
who are going to have the deal with them the longest.
Use this handbook for your 2008 campaign but moving forward, also think
about ways to capitalize on this generations energy once youre in office.
Young adults are in this for the long haul and eager to work with their elected
leaders to take action on the issues they all care about.

19

About Rock the Vote

TIMElinE

Rock the Votes mission is to build the

1990-1993 - The early years: Gen Xs Rock the Vote

political clout and engagement of

young people in order to achieve
progressive change in our country.
Rock the Vote uses music, popular
culture and new technologies to
engage and incite young people to
register and vote in every election.

RTV launched our first national campaign, Censorship is UnAmerican, with Iggy Pop, the Red Hot
Chili Peppers, and Woody Harrleson in 1990. And in 1991, with RTVs support, including PSAs and a
Dear Senator postcard campaign, Congress passes the National Voter Registration Act (Motor
Voter).
In 1992, RTV and our partner organizations registered 350,000 young people to vote.

1996-2002 - The middle years: RTV hits the road and the net
During the 1996 election, RTV registered 500,000 voters, in large part through a partnership with
MTVs Choose or Lose campaign and our very first online voter registration tool, NetVote 96.

identify, learn about, and take action

In 2000, RTV registered more than 500,000 voters online, launched a 1-800-ROCK-VOTE hotline, and
ran a 25-city bus tour with talent from the The West Wing, Rah Digga, Outkast, and Hootie and The
Blowfish.

on the issues that affect their lives, and leverage their power in

In 2002, RTV registered 200,000 people to vote and launched our Community Street Teams.

We give young people the tools to

the political process.

2004-2006 - The recent years: The Millennial Generation Rocks the Vote
Rock the Vote is creative, effective, and controlled
by nobodys agenda but our own we tell it like it
is and pride ourselves on being a trusted source
for information on politics. We empower the 44
million young people in America who want to step
up, claim their voice in the political process, and

change the way politics is done.

Founded in 1990 in response to a wave of
attacks on freedom of speech and artistic
expression, Rock the Vote has over the
past 18 years become a name ubiquitous
with youth political engagement.

20

In 2004, RTV ran a nationwide campaign, including our signature Rap the Vote and Chicks Rock,
Chicks Vote programs, and registered over 800,000 voters. On Election Day, RTV helped contribute
to a historic 4.3 million-vote surge in young voter turnout.
In 2006, RTV partnered with new media like Facebook and entered the Web 2.0 scene with a
bang. Registering more than 50,000 voters, RTV helped make 2006 another huge year for young
voters.

2008 - Rock the Vote Today

In 2008, Rock the Vote will register two million 18-29 year olds and work to increase young voter
turnout for the third major election in a row. Well focus our efforts on young Hispanics, African
Americans, and women.
Well hold concerts, run PSAs, and reach out to young voters with our Artist Advisory Council
including Christina Aguilera, Josh Groban, Juanez, Souljah Boy, and Against Me.
We launched our best online voter registration tool yet, well use Facebook, MySpace, and new
media tools like text messaging and online organizing, and well run grassroots efforts around the
country.
And much, much more
From street teams to entertainment partnerships to innovative online efforts, Rock the Vote is a leader
in the movement to make young people a more permanent part of the American political process.
In 2008, well build on that and bring the power of the Millennial Generation to bear in American
politics.

Winning Young Voters was made possible by

generous support from The Pew Charitable Trusts,
Carnegie Corporation of New York, The George
Washington Universitys Graduate School of Political
Management, and Peter B. and Jonathan D. Lewis.
The statements made and views expressed
are solely the responsibility of the author.

1505 22nd Street NW

Washington, D.C. 20037
202-719-9910 (Phone)
202-719-9952 ( FAX)
www.RockTheVote.com