With the interesting outcome of the 2008 Presidential Election, it is very intriguing to look at exit polls to see if all the get out the vote campaigns actually led minorities and the young to the voting booths.
Looking nationally, 11% of the voting population was voting for the first time, very similar to the new voter turnout in 2004. Among these new voters, nationally Obama received 69% of the vote, while McCain only received 30%.
Specifically, in regards to race, African Americans made up 11% of the overall voting population in 2004. However, in 2008, African Americans made up 13% of the voting population. Since this 2% increase may not necessarily be comprised of new voters, it is hard to say whether this increase is due to get out the vote efforts specifically, simply due to Barack Obama’s race, or because people who have voted in the past but stopped realized how important it is to vote again. Nevertheless, it is important to note that there was an increase in voter turnout among African Americans, showing that by 2012 there is a possibility for even more voter turnout from this voting bloc.
As for Latino voters, when comparing the turnout of Latinos in 2004 to the turnout in 2008 the get out the vote efforts may have actually made an impact. In 2004, Latinos only made up 8% of the voting population, but by 2008 they made up 9% of the population. With all the get out the vote campaigns directed at Latinos it does seem as if there was the potential to raise the numbers of Latino voters by more than 1%. Yet we cannot put down this 1% since it is still an increase and shows advancement in the voter registration and turnout. Looking at states that were specifically targeted by get out the vote efforts, there are great increases in the number of Latinos voting. Specifically, Voto Latino focused on the Latino population in Colorado. Looking at exit polls, this organization did in fact see results. In 2004, Latinos only made up 8% of voters, but by 2008 they made up 13%. These numbers show that Voto Latino did in fact have an impact on voter registration and turnout, proving that some get out the vote campaigns can be very effective. It appears that this get out the vote campaign was very effective in the manner in which they targeted both young and older Latinos together through telenovelas. With this voting increase, Latinos are becoming increasingly influential in the turnout of elections.
While there are specific get out the vote organizations, such as Voto Latino and ACORN, that focus directly on registering minorities, there are also many organizations that focus simply on registering young adults. These organizations, much like the organization that made the “don’t vote” video can claim success in this election. When comparing results of voter turnout between the ages of 18-29, in the 2004 election this age group only made up 17% of the electorate, while in 2008 this age group made up 18%. Once again, this 1% increase may seem very small but this age group had greater turnout than those in the age category of 60 and older. In 2004, the 60 and older age category trumped the 18-29 age group by 7%, but by 2008 the 18-29 age group beat out the 60 and older group by 2%. This shows that the targeting of younger age categories does actually have an effect on some individuals, causing them to register and vote in elections.
Just as many videos made this election cycle, and specifically the Voto Latino telenovelas explain, this push for voting in elections can not stop simply because the election is over. It is important to keep get out the vote campaigns registering people to vote even in non-Presidential election years since there is still a great need to vote in Congressional and local races, as well as voting on referendums and other reforms. Seeing how different this election was from any other election, it will be very interesting to compare the results to the turnout in 2012, especially among young adults and minorities.
For Further Reading:
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/polls/#val=COP00p1
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/US/P/00/epolls.0.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5297138
Monday, November 17, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
ACORN: The Scandal
Since 2004, ACORN, a non-profit organization, has registered more than 1.7 million low-income and minority citizens to vote. In fact, just about 60% of all those who are registered by ACORN are a minority. However, recently the validity of 1.3 million newly registered voters is being questioned. Bogus registration cards have been filled out in the names of cartoon characters and the starting lineup of the Dallas Cowboys as well children as young as eight years old. These bogus registration cards are now being investigated in about 12 states including the swing states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida. While the FBI is currently looking into these charges regarding voter fraud, there is now way to say exactly how many registration cards were fraudulent, at least not as of right now. With the push towards registering more minority and lower class citizens, comes the question of how many ballots were fabricated.
Putting aside any potential fabrications in the registration of voters, ACORN has made great strides in registering minority voters. Within the state of Nevada, ACORN has registered nearly 80,000 new minority and young voters. As of October 6th, ACORN, partnered with Project Vote, had the biggest registration drive, totaling upwards of 1.3 million new voters. The majority of the voters registered in these drives are young, African-American, Latino, and/or low-income Americans according to Bertha Lewis, the Interim Chief Organizer of ACORN.
In efforts to quiet the rumors surrounding their voter registration methods, ACORN has completely fired all staff members involved and claims to have hired professionals to review every application that is submitted by canvassers. Anytime there is a suspicious application ACORN submits it to election officials to review, so as not to take any chances.
The RNC, and John McCain specifically, have used this ACORN scandal to try and persuade independent and unsure voters that Obama is not trustworthy. Having represented ACORN in a 1995 lawsuit, McCain demands that Obama explain his ties to this group. As of October 29th, the Republican National Committee is claiming that the Obama campaign still has strong ties to ACORN, “including the more than $800,000 it paid to a subsidiary, some of which went directly to ACORN for get-out-the-vote efforts” and this should be looked at very closely since this “compromises the integrity of our nation’s electoral process.” (RNC Chief Counsel Sean Cairncross).
While most Get Out The Vote efforts work tremendously hard to register voters, there are some campaigns that do use fraudulent tactics in order to push false voting ballots. However, even with the problems ACORN faces in many states, early voting has not decreased in the least. In fact, in many states that are considered to be battleground and have been effected by the ACORN scandal, there has been an increase in voters. Specifically, in Michigan there were great problems regarding the registering of voters but currently early voting shows that people, especially minorities, coming out and voting in great numbers. Minority and specifically Black voters have the power to sway the swing vote in either direction and clearly the ACORN scandal has not stopped them from using their voice.
Overall, the ACORN scandal has the potential to blemish the reputations of all Get Out The Vote efforts. Clearly though, it has not hindered other organizations to continue to register minority voters in hopes of increasing their turnout in this upcoming election. With less than a week until Election Day, it will be very interesting to see how effectively Get Out the Vote campaigns worked and if the ACORN scandal has any effect on the minds of voters while in the voting booth.
Further reading:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/otherlocalelectionstories/2008323762_acorn29m.html
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/RNC-Denounces-ACORNs-Charges-Voter/story.aspx?guid={A978C736-0347-46E3-B901-DFBA08B43495}
http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=12340
Putting aside any potential fabrications in the registration of voters, ACORN has made great strides in registering minority voters. Within the state of Nevada, ACORN has registered nearly 80,000 new minority and young voters. As of October 6th, ACORN, partnered with Project Vote, had the biggest registration drive, totaling upwards of 1.3 million new voters. The majority of the voters registered in these drives are young, African-American, Latino, and/or low-income Americans according to Bertha Lewis, the Interim Chief Organizer of ACORN.
In efforts to quiet the rumors surrounding their voter registration methods, ACORN has completely fired all staff members involved and claims to have hired professionals to review every application that is submitted by canvassers. Anytime there is a suspicious application ACORN submits it to election officials to review, so as not to take any chances.
The RNC, and John McCain specifically, have used this ACORN scandal to try and persuade independent and unsure voters that Obama is not trustworthy. Having represented ACORN in a 1995 lawsuit, McCain demands that Obama explain his ties to this group. As of October 29th, the Republican National Committee is claiming that the Obama campaign still has strong ties to ACORN, “including the more than $800,000 it paid to a subsidiary, some of which went directly to ACORN for get-out-the-vote efforts” and this should be looked at very closely since this “compromises the integrity of our nation’s electoral process.” (RNC Chief Counsel Sean Cairncross).
While most Get Out The Vote efforts work tremendously hard to register voters, there are some campaigns that do use fraudulent tactics in order to push false voting ballots. However, even with the problems ACORN faces in many states, early voting has not decreased in the least. In fact, in many states that are considered to be battleground and have been effected by the ACORN scandal, there has been an increase in voters. Specifically, in Michigan there were great problems regarding the registering of voters but currently early voting shows that people, especially minorities, coming out and voting in great numbers. Minority and specifically Black voters have the power to sway the swing vote in either direction and clearly the ACORN scandal has not stopped them from using their voice.
Overall, the ACORN scandal has the potential to blemish the reputations of all Get Out The Vote efforts. Clearly though, it has not hindered other organizations to continue to register minority voters in hopes of increasing their turnout in this upcoming election. With less than a week until Election Day, it will be very interesting to see how effectively Get Out the Vote campaigns worked and if the ACORN scandal has any effect on the minds of voters while in the voting booth.
Further reading:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/otherlocalelectionstories/2008323762_acorn29m.html
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/RNC-Denounces-ACORNs-Charges-Voter/story.aspx?guid={A978C736-0347-46E3-B901-DFBA08B43495}
http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=12340
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Voto Latino
Voto Latino is a Get Out the Vote project that was founded in 2004. This project uses celebrity voices, technology, as well as the youth to promote voting and change in America. The Public Service Announcements released by Voto Latino target young Latino’s who are eligible to vote, but not in the typical dreary manner of the usual PSA. Partnering with Declareyourself.com, the latest batch of PSA’s released by Voto Latino are a take off of telenovelas, or Spanish soap operas. Within the first five episodes of “La Pasion de la Decision,” there is cheesy romance, an engagement, a break up, a love triangle, as well as a father who wakes from a five-year coma, all because Rodrigo is not registered to vote.
With the humor comes knowledge as well. In the second episode, Carmen, played by Rosario Dawson, is confused by the idea that Rodrigo, played by Wilmer Valderrama, is not registered to vote because on their first date he complained about the president. Carmen explains that Rodrigo had no right to complain because he did not vote in the past election. Mixed with the overdramatic tone of telenovelas, there are also important facts. For example, while fighting over the fact that Rodrigo is not registered to vote, Carmen explains that there are so many important issues that come along with voting. It is important to vote in both local and national elections as well as the ballot initiatives “because those are very important,” says Carmen through her tears.
By the third video in the series, there is a love triangle which all revolves around the fact that Rodrigo did not register to vote, since if he had simply registered to vote when he was eighteen, he would never have lost his fiancée to the gardener, who also happens to be her half-brother unbeknownst to her. However, once again all throughout this crazy, melodramatic love triangle there is an underlying factor, the need to register and vote in elections. Voting is not just a right but a responsibility is emphasized throughout each video by every character, numerous times. In fact by the time one finishes watching one of these clips, they may feel the need to get up and vote, use their voice and show that they can have an impact on the political system.
The videos also address some potential reasons for not voting. One specifically focused on is that you have to stand in line forever in order to vote. This has been a major problem in the past and is looking like it may be an even greater problem this year, yet this should be no reason not to vote. While there may be a little wait at the voting center, the video emphasizes that this only further shows how many people do exercise their right to vote. Another problem mentioned is the confusion as to where to register to vote. Lola emphasizes that she knows that you can register to vote at the Mayor’s office because while she was having an affair with the Mayor people were often coming in to register. Overall, Voto Latino, and the telenovela series as a whole, projects a positive message, through the use of humor, emphasizing the youth, and Latinos specifically, to register and go vote.
Voto Latino also partners with many different organizations in order to get Latino’s registered and voting in elections. One specific organization that Voto Latino is connected to is the Colorado Represent! program. This program works to involve and motivate the Latino youth of Colorado. According to the program there are almost 75,000 eligible Latino youth in Colorado that are not registered to vote. By registering the Latino youth, their voice will grow louder and they will have increased political power throughout the state.
This website leads readers to FAQ’s about voting, as well as way to register to vote, specific state information, early voting information and an electoral college map. Voto Latino specifically targets Latino youth, tapping directly into their interests and therefore promoting their interest in getting involved in the political system by registering and voting in both local and national elections.
For more information about Voto Latino or any of their programs please go to their website: http://votolatino.xykon.info/
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Undecided? Just don’t vote.
In a response to the “Don’t Vote” video (see below), Joel Stein, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, encourages people not to vote. Stein makes the argument that those who do not have strong feelings for either presidential candidate simply should not vote. By making this argument, Stein explains that the Get Out the Vote campaigns force people to register and vote when they are not certain about the candidates. Therefore, these campaigns are not necessary and Stein argues that people simply should not vote.
Voting, Stein says, is not an “act of charity,” in fact it really does nothing except make the voter feel as if they had a hand in helping decide who becomes our next president. Stein goes as far as saying “if your mere opinion added to our nation’s well-being, it would be patriotic to take telemarketing calls” and he would read the e-mails his readers send him. Clearly, Stein is trying to make light of the truth that the voters’ opinion does not really matter since we have the Electoral College, which has no law binding them to vote in correlation with the population of their State. All of these Get Out The Vote campaigns may not even have an effect on this election since high voter turn out doesn’t make our democracy any stronger. Citing Canada as the perfect example of this, with typical voting turnout being more than 75 percent, their leaders still are not significant world players. Stein then goes back to the original idea of voting not being an act of charity, saying that if voting really helped other people, we would get orange drink and cookies along with the “I voted” today sticker, just as you would had you donated blood.
Even with all the Get Out the Vote campaigns and ads that will “guilt you into casting a ballot”, almost half of those who are eligible to vote still won’t, and Stein says that this is a “legitimate expression of feelings about or political system.” Stein goes as far as comparing this to “American Idol,” explaining how “none of the contenders convinced you but that your vote is available next time to someone who does.” It becomes obvious that Stein is not a fan of all the Get Out the Vote campaigns since he explains that they scare people into voting claiming that if they don’t vote they will lose their right to complain. However, Stein makes the argument that not voting allows you the right to complain. Since the odds of voting for the winner are slightly better than even, which means that you can’t complain when he is elected.
Then Stein rips into the “don’t vote” video, with its “heap of celebrities” and “superior, self-satisfied tone” which made Stein not want to vote for president but also “throw away [his] Writers Guild award ballot.” Once again, minorities and young adults are singled out as groups that won’t turnout to vote, so campaigns must use time and effort to register them and attempt to increase voter participation.
According to the latest census figures while 71 percent of voting-eligible whites are registered, only 61 percent of blacks and 54 percent of Latinos are registered (Breed 2008, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22626208/). This is why most of the Get Out the Vote campaigns are targeting minorities because they are least likely to use their right to vote when they can in fact have a great impact on the turnout of the election. One Get Out the Vote group specifically targets newly sworn in citizens by sitting outside the federal court chamber in Las Vegas on the first two Friday’s of every month. This group registers anywhere from one hundred to one thousand Latinos each Friday (Breed 2008, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22626208/). Those who run these Get Out the Vote campaigns are addressed point blankly by Stein as liberals. With poor people, minorities, the undereducated and the young the least likely to register to vote, the higher the turnout in these groups the better off the Democrats are. By focusing on registering minorities they will build up the liberal base, turning the country and political system completely blue. However, this simply is not true. While African Americans typically lean Democratic, there has been a shift by Latino’s toward the Republican Party over the past few election cycles (Breed 2008, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22626208/). In fact, in 2004, Bush worked hard to appeal to Latinos, which led to record numbers of Latinos voting for the Republican Party.
Stein then makes the claim that casting a ballot only tricks people into believing that they hold power, therefore they are less likely to revolt. So these Get Out the Vote campaigns are only wasting their time because, according to Stein, it is not worth it to vote since our vote does not really count. If Get Out the Vote campaigns real objective were to strengthen the democracy, they would be working to get rid of the Electoral College not registering minority and young voters.
Stein’s comical editorial in response to the “Don’t Vote” video and Get Out the Vote campaigns leads to questioning the political system and specifically the Electoral College. It is true that the Electoral College can potentially silence the voice of the people, yet for the most it helps amplify the voice of the people. By discouraging people, Stein is likely appealing to many of the minority and young base, making the hard work that these Get Out the Vote campaigns have done obsolete. Stein plays directly on fears that by registering minorities will turn the country blue which is an unfair generalization. While Stein may have been trying to be funny, this article will probably do more harm than anything else.
For more information please go to the direct article which can be found at: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-stein10-2008oct10,0,5964903.column
As Well As:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22626208/
Voting, Stein says, is not an “act of charity,” in fact it really does nothing except make the voter feel as if they had a hand in helping decide who becomes our next president. Stein goes as far as saying “if your mere opinion added to our nation’s well-being, it would be patriotic to take telemarketing calls” and he would read the e-mails his readers send him. Clearly, Stein is trying to make light of the truth that the voters’ opinion does not really matter since we have the Electoral College, which has no law binding them to vote in correlation with the population of their State. All of these Get Out The Vote campaigns may not even have an effect on this election since high voter turn out doesn’t make our democracy any stronger. Citing Canada as the perfect example of this, with typical voting turnout being more than 75 percent, their leaders still are not significant world players. Stein then goes back to the original idea of voting not being an act of charity, saying that if voting really helped other people, we would get orange drink and cookies along with the “I voted” today sticker, just as you would had you donated blood.
Even with all the Get Out the Vote campaigns and ads that will “guilt you into casting a ballot”, almost half of those who are eligible to vote still won’t, and Stein says that this is a “legitimate expression of feelings about or political system.” Stein goes as far as comparing this to “American Idol,” explaining how “none of the contenders convinced you but that your vote is available next time to someone who does.” It becomes obvious that Stein is not a fan of all the Get Out the Vote campaigns since he explains that they scare people into voting claiming that if they don’t vote they will lose their right to complain. However, Stein makes the argument that not voting allows you the right to complain. Since the odds of voting for the winner are slightly better than even, which means that you can’t complain when he is elected.
Then Stein rips into the “don’t vote” video, with its “heap of celebrities” and “superior, self-satisfied tone” which made Stein not want to vote for president but also “throw away [his] Writers Guild award ballot.” Once again, minorities and young adults are singled out as groups that won’t turnout to vote, so campaigns must use time and effort to register them and attempt to increase voter participation.
According to the latest census figures while 71 percent of voting-eligible whites are registered, only 61 percent of blacks and 54 percent of Latinos are registered (Breed 2008, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22626208/). This is why most of the Get Out the Vote campaigns are targeting minorities because they are least likely to use their right to vote when they can in fact have a great impact on the turnout of the election. One Get Out the Vote group specifically targets newly sworn in citizens by sitting outside the federal court chamber in Las Vegas on the first two Friday’s of every month. This group registers anywhere from one hundred to one thousand Latinos each Friday (Breed 2008, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22626208/). Those who run these Get Out the Vote campaigns are addressed point blankly by Stein as liberals. With poor people, minorities, the undereducated and the young the least likely to register to vote, the higher the turnout in these groups the better off the Democrats are. By focusing on registering minorities they will build up the liberal base, turning the country and political system completely blue. However, this simply is not true. While African Americans typically lean Democratic, there has been a shift by Latino’s toward the Republican Party over the past few election cycles (Breed 2008, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22626208/). In fact, in 2004, Bush worked hard to appeal to Latinos, which led to record numbers of Latinos voting for the Republican Party.
Stein then makes the claim that casting a ballot only tricks people into believing that they hold power, therefore they are less likely to revolt. So these Get Out the Vote campaigns are only wasting their time because, according to Stein, it is not worth it to vote since our vote does not really count. If Get Out the Vote campaigns real objective were to strengthen the democracy, they would be working to get rid of the Electoral College not registering minority and young voters.
Stein’s comical editorial in response to the “Don’t Vote” video and Get Out the Vote campaigns leads to questioning the political system and specifically the Electoral College. It is true that the Electoral College can potentially silence the voice of the people, yet for the most it helps amplify the voice of the people. By discouraging people, Stein is likely appealing to many of the minority and young base, making the hard work that these Get Out the Vote campaigns have done obsolete. Stein plays directly on fears that by registering minorities will turn the country blue which is an unfair generalization. While Stein may have been trying to be funny, this article will probably do more harm than anything else.
For more information please go to the direct article which can be found at: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-stein10-2008oct10,0,5964903.column
As Well As:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22626208/
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Don't Vote
In the latest batch of Get Out The Vote ads, celebrities are being used to appeal to younger, unregistered voters throughout the country. The video entitled “Don’t Vote” involves 30 celebrities uses reverse psychology to attempt to convince young adults not to vote since their votes “don’t matter.” Throughout the close to five minute video these stars explain that there is no need to vote, who cares, Jonah Hill says, that the economy is doing terribly because “I got so much money." Each celebrity jokes in their own right about the problems within our country, touching on everything from the war on drugs to abortion rights. In the end, these celebrities prove that these issues are real and do effect young adults, therefore young adults must use their voices and vote in the upcoming election.
Through the use of reverse psychology, this video appeals to college students and young adults by focusing on issues that are important to this specific age group. The video touches on issues with drugs, literacy, and how truly important this election is for this generation specifically. It can be noted that this video makes greater attempts than past Get Out The Vote ads to appeal to minorities. Within this video, seven of the thirty stars are from a minority race, either African American or Hispanic. There is targeted language throughout the video, mentioning welfare, minimum wage, education and civil rights. In fact, the mention of the war on drugs as well as the importance of education is mentioned by a Puerto Rican, Benicio Del Toro. This shows the targeted nature of the video since it is a clear trend that these issues are very important to the Hispanic population. Forest Whitaker mentions the issues of welfare, minimum wage. Once again these are targeted issues that are important to the African American community. It is clear that these are hot topics for minority groups and therefore having a minority celebrity mention them will encourage these groups to register and vote in this election.
Produced by Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company, this public service announcement was not as concerned about the cost effectiveness but rather about getting the word about registration deadlines out to young adults. Unlike other videos that simply focus on getting people out to vote, this video mentions registration, in a humorous manner, stressing the impending deadlines. Similar to the experiment done by Votes for Students in 2002, it is unclear how many of the e-mails and messages regarding this video went unopened (Green and Gerber, 2004). The entire effort of the video is to get each viewer to send it to five friends who will then send it to five more friends, creating a web of viewers. By having friends send it to each other, it is more likely for people to open and watch the video, hopefully then forwarding it along to their friends. The true question here is how many young adults who watched the video followed the link and registered to vote. It is possible that the numbers will never be known, but it is clear that this video went to great lengths to emphasize the importance of voting.
Targeting young adults through the Internet proves to be a strong Get Out the Vote campaign since so many teens and twenty year olds spend so much time on the computer. Hopefully, this ad’s reverse psychology will motivate many young adults to register and vote in the upcoming election since it is clear that their opinions do matter.
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