PRESS RELEASE from Rock the Vote
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 20, 2012
CONTACT: Zoe Bridges-Curry
ROCK THE VOTE ANNOUNCES
“WE WILL” CAMPAIGN TO EMPOWER YOUNG PEOPLE TO REGISTER AND VOTE IN 2012
With
78
Days to Go Until Election Day, Groundbreaking Campaign Will Energize
Young People to Fight Back Against Restrictions and
Make Their Voices Heard in November
Washington,
DC – As the nominating conventions begin, and young people head back to
school and begin paying closer attention to the elections, Rock the
Vote is launching
the We Will campaign to register
1.5 million voters and engage millions ages 18-29 in turning out to
vote this November.
While
voting rights are under attack in states across the country, with
changes in early vote laws and ID requirements that will make it harder
for young people to vote,
the We Will campaign aims to educate young people about these changes,
and remind them of their collective power. The campaign combines
messages such as “they want us to keep silent, we will be heard,” and
“they want us to back down, we will be brave” with
artful photography and graphics, in order to highlight that there is a
“they” lurching in the shadows, but then motivate people through what
we will do to shape our future, rather than what should be.
The
campaign will kick off with concerts celebrating the power of young
voters at the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, along
with the launch of “Road Trip
2012” bus tour.
The concert in Tampa, FL on August 28th is headlined by international
superstar
Steve Aoki, presented by Pringles and Tumblr, and
produced by Disco Donnie Presents and We Are Music.
Showcasing Rock the Vote’s work this year with the Electronic Dance
Music community through its
Spin the Vote
program, this show will bring young people and politicians together for
a night of dance and celebration of the right to vote. The
concert in
Charlotte is a rare, intimate – and sure to be rocking – club
show with the Foo Fighters, who are taking time from their
world tour in support of the international #1 album Wasting Light to
support Rock the Vote.
These
high profile events will serve as the kick-off to the national We Will
campaign, which will leverage technology, music, and celebrity
engagement to educate and energize
millions of young people to cast a ballot in this year’s election. The
campaign will use a variety of tools to engage young people—from
broadcast media to outdoor advertising to online outreach and mobile
integration—and will include the “We Will Pledge to
Vote,” through which voters will commit to making their voices heard in
November. A #WeWill Twitter hashtag will support the entire campaign.
“Through
these events, we will bring together thousands of young voters and
energize them to engage in the We Will campaign and in registering
their peers to vote. We will
also make sure that the candidates for office in both parties are
reminded that young people are more than ¼ of the electorate and
are
ready to flex our political muscle once again,” said Heather Smith,
President of Rock the Vote.
Other events at both conventions are
being planned and will be announced soon.
“Young
people across the country understand the power they have to make change
in our country, we will help them realize that power,” said Smith. “The
We Will campaign is
about young people making their voices heard. We will help them
access
the tools they need – whether it’s through music, social media, on the
airwaves or on the ground – to make a difference in this
election. We
will be brave, we will organize, we will speak
out, we will be counted. And we will vote.”
New polling
conducted by the Center for Information & Research on Civic
Learning and Engagement
(CIRCLE) at Tufts University shows a lack of awareness about new voting
restrictions could be a huge barrier to young people voting in this
election, with 68 percent of young people either unable or unwilling to
answer correctly whether their state requires
a photo ID to vote.
The
2012 Road Trip, Rock the Vote’s bus tour, will launch in Tampa then
make its way to Charlotte, registering voters and activating volunteers
with each stop along the way,
as well as collecting “WeWill Vote Pledges” from the thousands of young
voters in each city. Throughout the tour, young people will have a
chance to choose their own “We Will” statement posting it alongside a
picture of themselves while learning more about
the voting process and how to navigate any voting restrictions in their
state. A robust voter registration drive will be conducted by Rock the
Vote volunteers at stops along the way beginning on the east coast in
states such as Florida, Georgia, North Carolina,
Washington DC, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, then making its way west to
many others.
The
campaign will also air public service announcements with the support of
networks like Comcast's "Own the Vote," through cable, web, and On
Demand platforms that encourage young people
to register to vote.
The
We Will campaign has been built in close partnership with TaskForce, a
pro-social marketing and cultural organizing agency and Apartment One,
a Brooklyn-based branding
and design agency. In addition, other leading media, marketing
and
public relations agencies are giving their time and energy to advance
the We Will campaign, The Pvblic Foundation and the Judge Group
(outdoor), BMF Media (events),
Team Epiphany
(social media), and many others.
Rock
the Vote's mission is to engage and build political power for young
people in our country. Using music, popular culture, new technologies,
and grassroots organizing
for more than 20 years, Rock the Vote has registered more than 5
million young people. As the tidal wave of Millennial generation voters
continues to establish its power at the polls, Rock the Vote will
register millions more young people and make their voices
heard.
For more information, visit
www.rockthevote.com.
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