Democratic attempts to appeal to younger voters involve birth control and alcohol.
Hi there, young voter. Have you moved on from the presidential election already? Are you depressed by the grandfathers leading the two main party tickets? Do you think politics is unrelated to your life?
Despite their own panic over the pervasive teenage depression given President Biden's difficulties in the polls, a group of Democratic contributors believes they may have discovered the solution to all your problems. In the roughly seven states where the presidential election will be decided, they hope to transform politics into something more enjoyable, like a dance party, comedy show, or hangout. Free beer, manicures, boot shines, a rent check contest, free pills for contraception or cooling towels are sometimes offered. All you have to do to be a part of something greater is simply turn up, act as though it's Super Bowl Sunday. Oh, and at some point, somebody might bring up voting.
According to Dmitri Mehlhorn, a donor adviser to Democratic billionaires such as Reid Hoffman of LinkedIn, "nobody throws more simultaneous parties than we do" when speaking of Americans. "In those states, there are 2.2 million people under 45 who do not vote, but they participate in a variety of other civic activities."
The new initiative is currently being tested in swing states including Pennsylvania and Arizona. It was supported with millions of dollars by Mehlhorn's organisation, Investing in US, and others. The target audience consists of younger voters who, when they do cast a ballot, typically support Democrats in large cities in a few crucial states. According to early polls, their increased disengagement from the political discourse may jeopardise Democratic chances of retaining the White House. Funding for events this autumn will be determined on the outcomes of the present pilot initiative.
"Getting people to attend cultural events is not a difficult task. Kevin Mack, the chief strategist for The Voter Project, which has been hosting events this spring under the name Stand Up Strong '24 throughout Pennsylvania to test the idea, said, "The important thing is to make it fun and keep out the doom and gloom." "They'll act on their own volition. It's not a major endeavour.
Mack wants to register 100,024 younger voters in the state in November who would not have otherwise cast a ballot this year. Before this year's special election in February, he hosted a free concert in Bucks County on a Saturday. Free food trucks, drinks, and a performance by the Boston-based band Couch were all provided.
He recently took over a community centre in Philadelphia that hosted artist presentations, social events, and—most notably—a lottery where participants could win one month's rent in exchange for checking their voter registration. This August in Philadelphia, there are plans to celebrate the athletes of Paris with an Olympic village of sorts. Autumn festivities also include free beer. Vote for Abortion organised a bus tour in Phoenix on Saturday, distributing free emergency contraception and feminine hygiene supplies to raise awareness of Lauren Jauregui's midday concert. The event included DJs, presentations by local influencers and a visit by actress Busy Phillips. The pitch did not centre around Biden's name.
In areas such as Pennsylvania, where some counties may have early voting over five weekends this year, other groups are investigating the possibility of holding early morning parties close to early voting locations. On election day, a nonprofit called Pizza to the Polls intends to carry on its mission of feeding individuals waiting in line.
Donald Green, a political scientist at Columbia University who has researched the efficacy of throwing parties close to polling stations to increase voter turnout, described the approach as "pretty 19th century in a way." "A male-only electorate would have free whisky, entertainment and a marching band prior to the so-called progressive era reforms of the 1880s."
Ever since, it has been illegal under state and federal regulations to offer whisky or any other valuable item in return for voting or registering to vote. State election rules, however, typically do not forbid the distribution of cash, food, or other amusements to promote civic engagement or near polling places. As long as the initiative doesn't promote loyalty to a party or candidate, nonprofits that receive tax-deductible contributions from anonymous individuals are able to cover all costs. In general, sweepstakes are acceptable as long as there are options to take part without fulfilling any criteria. "Whether you voted or not, you have to be able to drink the beer," stated Brian Svoboda, a Perkins Coie LLP campaign finance lawyer.
Political campaigns have long offered freebies of a kind, covering expenses such as Pizza Ranch dinners prior to the Iowa caucuses or the large-scale stadium performances that Trump frequently organises for rallies. However, the Trump team continues to make fun of the notion that supporters of Biden must spend a lot of money to make connections with young adults—even offering booze at gatherings.
"Getting the public intoxicated is the only way the supporters of a weak, corrupt, and unsuccessful leader can persuade them to carry out four more years of bad policies. Top Trump campaign strategist Chris LaCivita stated in a statement that Biden "should stop treating young voters, Black and Hispanic voters like they are stupid." "The moment the election is over, his liberal financiers will stop throwing block parties and paying rent; they will resume ignoring their interests as they always have."
Since 2005, Green has conducted numerous studies on the impact of parties held close to polling places during election seasons on voter turnout. The weather, the party planners' reputation and expertise, and other factors all affect the outcome, he said. However, when successful, the events can increase turnout by four to six percentage points, and they do it at a less expensive per vote rate than other strategies like phone banking and door-to-door canvassing.
Concerns over a growing gulf between younger voters and politics and its institutions have been raised for some time. According to a Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics survey, the percentage of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 who say they "trust in the president" has decreased by 60% since 2015. A third of college students claim that they feel uneasy discussing their political opinions because they worry about being censored or suffering unfavourable consequences.
"Now that I think about it, I probably should be talking about it more," stated 26-year-old podcast producer Isabella Sanchez Castañeda, who attended a recent Stand Up Strong event in Philadelphia where a raffle gave out roughly $8,000 in rent. "I believe that is just a sign of tiredness and a sign of not knowing what to do right now." The pandemic's aftereffects and the 2020 election cycle's isolation and stay-at-home mentality both influence how Democratic donors tackle the task of persuading young folks to cast the ballot that the majority of Americans never desired.
The founder of the Civic Responsibility Project, Ashley Spillane, stated, "I think there is some really strong evidence that having these in-person gatherings and having them meet face-to-face is beneficial to them and beneficial to the cause because of the pandemic and general heaviness that is in the air right now — the loneliness epidemic." Spillane was the founder of Rock the Vote, an organisation that has long sought to use musical talent to boost voting.
One initiative, Mente, which translates to "mind" from Spanish, aims to specifically utilise mental health concerns to penetrate Arizona's Latino adolescent culture. In an attempt to garner notice, the group sponsored a comedy festival, ran a competition to give away tickets to see Bad Bunny, and set up a chill-out tent complete with complimentary towels and boot shines at a recent Mexican music festival in Phoenix. In addition to talking and offering advice on mental health, they advised people to verify their voter registration.
"Those who have never seen voting land will not receive voting messages." These folks are in pain. Co-founder Dan McSwain, a marketing professional, stated, "They are in a crisis." "Our message is that if they don't get involved, these systems will only fail them more and more." Mehlhorn stated that final decisions regarding funding for these kinds of initiatives to involve disgruntled youth won't be made until late summer or early autumn. One possibility is that businesses latch onto the initiatives as an opportunity to sell their own goods to the same difficult-to-reach audience.
The freebies at the Saturday Vote for Abortion event were made possible by collaborations with Julie, the manufacturer of an FDA-approved emergency contraceptive pill, and ItsAugust, a company that makes sanitary pads and tampons. Mente was there for the occasion as well. One of the organisers, Jenny Kay, stated, "We are meeting them where they are, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel." "We're heading over there."
