September 27, 2024

39 Days Until Election Day (11/05/24)

Last week, NextGen America went all out for National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) with nationwide efforts to engage and register young voters. Our organizers hit college campuses across Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Texas, connecting directly with students to get them hyped, registered, and ready to vote this November. Online, we took things up a notch through partnerships with HuffPost and BuzzFeed, reaching even more young people through digital engagement. NVRD highlighted the growing momentum of young voters as we get closer to the 2024 elections, underscoring their vital role at the ballot box in shaping our nation’s future.

🤝On the Ground🤝

Voter Registration Numbers

• Since the fall semester started (early August) NextGen America has registered 51,250 voters across eight key states
• The Up & Up reported that NextGen America has registered 50% more voters since school started in 2024 than we did in 2020, and it’s only mid September.

NVRD Recap 🗳️

“Donut Forget to Vote” table, voter registration event to celebrate National Voter Registration Day at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania with some donuts for good measure.

”Pressed for Policy” table, voter registration event to celebrate National Voter Registration Day in Detroit, Michigan, with fresh pressed juice.

Proud NextGen America organizers at the University of Texas at San Antonio registering students to vote on National Voter Registration Day.

Stampede of young, enthusiastic students getting vote-ready with NextGen America organizers at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Celebrating NVRD and Hispanic Heritage Month at Arizona State University-Tempe, getting students registered to vote with some pan dulce and agua frescas.

“Drag me to the polls,” voter registration event to celebrate National Voter Registration Day at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, with some great company.

NextGen America joined the Pittsburgh Steelers as official partners for the home opener outside Acrisure Stadium during Sunday’s tailgate. NextGen organizers helped fans register and update their voter registration before heading in to watch the game.

Collabs 👏

• NextGen X BET, HBCU Integration — NextGen partnered with BET to host an HBCU campus cookout and concert focused on voter registration among young voters. Hosted by Pretty Vee, with special musical performances from Rapsody and Finesse2Tymes, the National Voter Registration Day event was held at North Carolina A&T University. The event focused on empowering HBCUs and solidifying their role in driving voter participation.

💻Online💻

Creator Corner📸

To amplify NextGen’s message on National Voter Registration Day, we collaborated with influencers on TikTok and Instagram.

Carlos Eduardo Espina on Instagram and TikTok

Awa Sanneh on Instagram and TikTok

Volunteer shifts✅

• On National Voter Registration Day, NextGen America’s distributed teams made 108,070 calls (helping us pass over 1 million total calls this cycle) and sent 1,169,627 texts to young people across the country.
• This work was accomplished by 985 completed volunteer shifts.

Petitions✍️

• Our petition fighting for workers’ rights hit 2,601 signatures this week, and our petition urging Congress to provide a pathway to citizenship reached 1,728 signatures.

Volunteer Spotlight 🔦

Our volunteer spotlight this week goes to Karen! Her favorite part of volunteering has been the camaraderie of the team and helping folks vote while doing outreach. Karen is new to volunteering at NextGen and since onboarding, has become a star texter, Modgreeter, AND Sweeper.

Leaders Lab🧠

NextGen’s Student Leaders have been working on sharing their personal stories and preparing to host their own campus organizing events. We asked students to reflect on why they are passionate about voting and helping other young people vote — here are a few excerpts!

• Willette Thompson (she/her), senior Politics major, school at UVA, who first learned about NextGen from a friend. She’s voting in her first presidential election this year: “I am driven to get my peers involved in voting because I see how our generation’s future is shaped by the choices we make today. Coming from a family of first-generation immigrants, I grew up hearing stories about the lack of political stability my parents endured, and they have always made me see just how empowering it is to see your voice reflected in your leaders. I see voting as not just a right and a privilege, but a responsibility to help create a more equitable and fair future.”

• Sarahi Franco-Morales (she/her), sophomore Communications major at the University of Pennsylvania. She learned about NextGen from an organizer on campus and this will be her first presidential election: “I am motivated to engage young voters like me because we will be living through the effects of the policies that are implemented today. The issues that are addressed now will be one less battle in the future. I vote for the individuals who are not yet citizens and are dependent on the politicians that we choose, for the teenagers who aren’t of voting age yet but will witness the effect of policies through their family experiences. I vote for immigration reform, to address gun violence, and to strengthen our education system.”

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