PRESS RELEASE from Rock the Vote
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 16, 2012
CONTACT: Zoe Bridges-Curry
Chrissy
Faessen
ROCK THE VOTE DEBUTS
DIRECT ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION SUBMISSION WITH WASHINGTON STATE
Tool
offers
groundbreaking model for modernizing the voter registration
process
Washington, DC – As efforts to
scale back voting rights move forward in states nationwide, Rock the
Vote is pushing forward with new groundbreaking technology built within
our state-of-the-art online voter registration
tool that now allows users to register to vote (from their phone, iPad,
or computer) completely online—no printing, signing, or mailing
involved. The tool launched last week in Washington State, where Rock
the Vote generated 49,103 voter registration applications
in 2008. Rock the Vote’s partnership with the state is the first of its
kind anywhere in the country.
Young people, who now make up
nearly one quarter of the electorate, turned out in unprecedented
numbers in 2008. Since then, more than 30 states have passed voting
restrictions. Because of Voter ID laws, strict
residency requirements, and elimination of early voting, the Brennan
Center for Justice projects that nearly five million people—especially
young, minority, and elderly citizens—could be prevented from casting
their ballots this November.
“Young people across the country
are seeing their voting rights eroded by politicians with explicit
interests in keeping them silent. This tool will help them reclaim
their voice in our democracy,” said Heather
Smith, President of Rock the Vote. “It serves not only as a model for
modernizing voter registration practices across the country, but also
as a significant step forward for voting rights.”
The application is poised to cut
costs for cash-strapped states, reduce errors, and pave the way for
increased turnout—particularly among young people.
“In the past presidential election
approximately 78 percent of those that filled out a completed form
online mailed it in and got on the rolls. By taking out the sign and
mail steps, the tool will likely bring
that rate to nearly 100 percent. That means thousands of new registered
voters from Rock the Vote alone,” said Smith.
Registering online makes the system
more secure, more accurate, and more cost efficient. But many young
people still need to be asked or reminded to register, which is why
Rock the Vote’s partnership with states
is so crucial. As the largest nonpartisan voter registration and
engagement organization in the country, Rock the Vote is uniquely
positioned to facilitate voter registration by posting the tool on
thousands of sites young people visit, such as Facebook and
popular artists’ websites, as well as in game consoles.
“The process was simple and quick,”
said John Gaines, who used the tool to register in Washington State.
“It made it convenient for me… and it was cheaper. [Making] it easy for
people to get registered will help
us get more people to vote.”
Washington State is the first among
a number of key states—including California, Oregon, and Nevada—that
are in conversation with Rock the Vote about integrating this new
technology in advance of November’s general
election. The tool is available for free to any group that wants to
promote voter registration. With tech-savvy young people expected to
play a critical role in determining the outcome of the 2012 Election,
this tool is a huge step forward for voting rights
and for building a 21st-century electoral system.
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