As politicians and pundits gear up for the November general election, a GW-sponsored voting initiative is aiming to register 260,000 young voters in six states.
The New Voters Project, sponsored by the GW Graduate School of Political Management and the State Public Interest Research Group, launched a campaign late last semester to register young voters in Colorado, Iowa, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon and Wisconsin.
"We have the resources, the right people and the research to challenge the cycle of neglect that exists between young people and politicians," said Wendy Wendlandt, political director for the State Public Interest Research Group.
The project, officially launched Dec. 4, is being funded by a $4 million grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts, an organization that funds environment, education and public policy initiatives. The New Voters Project is bipartisan and is chaired by former Republican President Gerald Ford and former Vice President Walter Mondale, a Democrat.
Organizers focused on the six states, which have a combined total of 2 million eligible voters between 18 and 24 years old, because they have significant concentrations of young people. The states are also expected to host hotly contested races in the November election, said Carol Darr, director of GW's Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet.
"Pew didn't want to spend its money on states where it wasn't going to make any difference," she said.
Since its launch date, the group has been working to figure out where young people are concentrated. They are also registering voters at concerts, schools and apartment complexes.
The initiative will team up with other youth voter registration initiatives such as Rock the Vote and Russell Simmons' Hip-Hop Summit Action Network to reach the most potential voters.
"If you ask them, they will vote," said Ivan Frishberg, spokesperson for the New Voters Project. "And we are about to directly ask 1 million young people."
The New Voters Project, sponsored by the GW Graduate School of Political Management and the State Public Interest Research Group, launched a campaign late last semester to register young voters in Colorado, Iowa, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon and Wisconsin.
"We have the resources, the right people and the research to challenge the cycle of neglect that exists between young people and politicians," said Wendy Wendlandt, political director for the State Public Interest Research Group.
The project, officially launched Dec. 4, is being funded by a $4 million grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts, an organization that funds environment, education and public policy initiatives. The New Voters Project is bipartisan and is chaired by former Republican President Gerald Ford and former Vice President Walter Mondale, a Democrat.
Organizers focused on the six states, which have a combined total of 2 million eligible voters between 18 and 24 years old, because they have significant concentrations of young people. The states are also expected to host hotly contested races in the November election, said Carol Darr, director of GW's Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet.
"Pew didn't want to spend its money on states where it wasn't going to make any difference," she said.
Since its launch date, the group has been working to figure out where young people are concentrated. They are also registering voters at concerts, schools and apartment complexes.
The initiative will team up with other youth voter registration initiatives such as Rock the Vote and Russell Simmons' Hip-Hop Summit Action Network to reach the most potential voters.
"If you ask them, they will vote," said Ivan Frishberg, spokesperson for the New Voters Project. "And we are about to directly ask 1 million young people."
