Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Mobilizing Young Voters

Click on that link ^
This lists the top ten ways to mobilize young voters. We had a discussion about whether or not the internet revolutionized campaigns - most of us saw the internet as a fund raising resource ; Harris Miller saw it as entirely ineffective. It was interesting to note that technology (specifically mobile to mobile capabilities, social networks and campaign websites) was number nine and not really regarded as an important factor in mobilizing the youth.

1 comment:

Jenna said...

I think it was a mistake to make "Use new technology strategically" a separate category. I don't believe that there is no longer any value in face to face contact with voters and I think that #4 on the list (Candidates should mingle and chat with young voters at events: Go to college campuses,
attend happy hours or picnics, and talk to these voters about issues that matter. Don’t give a
stump speech - listen to and answer questions, and engage in a conversation.) is definitely a good way to engage young voters. I do, however, think our class discussions and a lot of the readings we have done have proven that the more traditional ways of winning votes (especially among young voters)that are represented by the rest of the list can be accomplished more efficiently and effectively using the internet. Specifically, I can see internet tools being used for:

2 (Utilize volunteers to mobilize fellow young voters)
3(Talk about issues in ways relevant to young adults)
4 Candidates should mingle and chat with young voters at events
6(Maximize the crowd)
10(Save your money)

I think that we can come up with several ways that different internet and technology tools can assist candidates using this list to attract a younger demographic.