No on-campus organizing, no problem — NextGen America continues to engage young voters ahead of critical election
SAN FRANCISCO — With students returning to classes for the fall semester, NextGen America is digitally organizing 234 campus communities in 11 states to vote in the November election.
While the Trump administration’s epic mishandling of the COVID-19 crisis has left students, faculty, and staff in a predicament, NextGen America will ensure that young people have the tools they need to safely and effectively cast their ballots. The youth vote organization is currently 61% to its national goal of getting over 380,000 students pledged to vote and is bringing on 242 campus fellows for the fall to help hit the target.
“Donald Trump and his cronies have failed students across the country, often throwing them into unsafe school environments during a pandemic,” NextGen America States Director Jared DeLoof said. “We are building up our ranks of students to communicate a simple message with their peers: This president is endangering your lives, and here’s what you can do to vote him out.”
NextGen America, most famously known for on-campus events involving petting zoos and bounce houses, is pulling out all the stops to reach young voters online and at home this cycle. The organization will facilitate virtual events to involve students, including class presentations on vote by mail, textbanks, phonebanks, and events featuring special guests.
NextGen New Hampshire is partnering with comedian Amanda Seales of HBO’s “Insecure,” who will perform stand-up and promote the importance of voting for young Granite Staters.
“Back to School” will also include tried and true voter contact methods like direct mail campaigns, sending young Americans voter registration applications with prepaid postage. In the next two weeks, over 600,000 voter registration applications with clear instructions for voting will be hitting campus mailboxes.
NextGen America’s Back to School efforts come on the heels of its National Vote By Mail Day outreach on July 28, when over 6,000 volunteers contacted 3.7 million young people about voting by mail. Organizers will continue informing young voters about the necessary steps to successfully cast a mail-in ballot during the Back to School period and through the upcoming months.
A recent poll by NextGen America and Global Strategy Group found that more than half of young voters currently lack the resources to vote by mail, heightening the urgency of education and outreach.
Trump’s attempted sabotage of the U.S. Postal Service further raises the stakes of communicating with the largest potential voting bloc of Americans about the need to vote carefully and early.
“It’s totally obvious what Trump is trying to do here: suppress the voices of young people,” NextGen America Executive Director Ben Wessel said. “Not on our watch. We see it as our duty to reach young voters, tell them the truth, and help them exercise their democratic rights while remaining safe and healthy.”
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