Following on brilliant successes at college campuses in Virginia, Airlift-supported groups like Alliance for Youth Action / Student Power Network are planning for massive mobilizations at 500 college campuses across the country! They are cracking the code with a sophisticated festival atmosphere mix of DJs, free food, animals to pet, voter ed., and Election Day dorm sweeps.
These groups have developed sophisticated systems for registering and turning out young voters . Their local organizations are completely run by young people. And they have been successful at creating programs that work so well they have been taken over by major funders like NextGen America.
Alliance for Youth Action, a part of Airlift's Network Effect Fund, has been a major force behind automatic voter registration in four states, including the first such bill in the country. And they helped oust the Cook County (Chicago) States Attorney, the fight that activated prosecutor races nationwide. In last fall’s elections, using sophisticated, proven programs on and off campus they were instrumental in tripling youth (under 30) turnout. As high school students across the country escalate their protests over gun control, these groups are ready to provide organizing support.
$500 pays half the cost of training a local organizer. We know young people vote the right way. They just need some cajoling and pizza to make sure they show up.