Young election workers enlist support from people their own age
“You see them everywhere. There’s another one,” says Juan Padron a 28-year-old public school teacher.
He’s not talking about the latest fashion trend or cockroaches or gas-guzzling cars. He’s talking about young election workers – 18 to 29 year olds who carry clipboards or sit behind tables as they register voters and raise money. Padron would know, because he’s one of them – the countless number of young people who use their free time, nights and weekends to campaign for the candidate of their choice.
Padron says this year he and several other groups have made a concerted effort to register 18 to 29 year olds. Studies show young people, like Padron, will have more success engaging their peers. One study, conducted by Yale University’s Institution for Social and Policy Studies showed young people were 18 percent more likely to vote after face-to-face contact by someone their own age. Some campaigns know this and are making an effort to court youth support. They say if they’ve done their job right the age group won’t disappoint when it comes to voting.
“The youth movement? On Election Day you’ll see it. Lines will be stretching around the corner. College students will be skipping class to vote. The youth movement is a tsunami,” Padron says.
Campaign collegues of Padron say he’s their “go to guy” when it comes to capturing young voters. “He’s great,” says Linda Drigant, a campaign volunteer. “He really knows how to talk to [young people].”
“I’m just direct with them,” Padron says. “I say, ‘Are you ready for Nov. 4? Are you ready to vote?’” Padron says he finds it easer for both people when talking to someone his age but just talking isn’t enough. Padron tries to connect with young people on issues important to them. “Young voters are concerned with the same things as everyone else but from a different angle,” Padron says. “Older people are worried about their retirements. Younger people are worried about even getting savings started.” Padron says once he engages his peers in the discussion they often register to vote. “I have a pretty good track record [getting them to register],” he says. “If they’ll vote or not? (shrugs).”
Other groups say getting young people to vote means getting them interested and engaged. For Anthony Reinhart, president of the Richmond County Young Republicans (RCYR) on Staten Island, it’s about face-to-face contact.
“It’s a very grassroots approach to the campaign,” he says. “We get in front of people.” The group recently rented a bus with a PA system, covered it with campaign signs and drove around the city stopping along the way to register voters – especially young ones.
Reinhart says they adapted their pitches for the younger voters by being chattier and using more casual language. “And it helps that we’re in the same age group,” says the 24-year-old.
Reinhart’s group and their presidential candidate John McCain are underdogs in New York but Reinhart sees this as a challenge.
“Because Obama is expected to win makes it that much more exciting,” he says. “It’s one of those battles where we have to fight that much harder. [Barack Obama] appeals so much to youth and younger people. But it’s important to remember the other side: young people do identify with John McCain.”
Reinhart points to a sister group to his organization, the Manhattan Young Republicans, who just enrolled member number 700. “All of them are young people, young republicans, who want to be engaged,” Reinhart says.
Ryan McVeigh, a campaign worker for Barack Obama, is doing his best to engage anyone. McVeigh, 24, is new to his volunteer job of collecting donations for Obama’s campaign. It’s his third day walking the streets with a clipboard and so far he hasn’t had much luck. “Excuse me sir. Do you have a minute for Barack Obama?” he asks a middle-aged man pushing a stroller. The man passes without even glancing in McVeigh’s direction. But a few minutes later McVeigh manages to hand his clipboard to a young woman who fills out her name, contact information and credit card number.
For young voters or donors it may feel less intimidating, more relaxed to talk to a worker their own age. Lauren Martin, 20, says she registered to vote after a “young guy” approached her on the street. She says she had already passed up registration tables staffed with older people but responded to him. “With an old person it’s like ‘am I in trouble?’ but when they’re my age it’s just easier to talk to them,” Martin says.
It’s unclear if the efforts of young campaign workers will raise turnout of young voters. Historically younger voters haven’t voted in large numbers when compared to other age brackets. But Reinhart says there’s a huge potential for his age group to make a difference in this year’s election. “To a certain extent the age group is taken for granted – until we get to shine.”
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