Rock the Vote president pushes for young voters participation

It’s hard to walk around campus without noticing the increase in political interest. However, this is more than just at the University of Miami; it is a national trend.

Among various voter registration and education campaigns, Rock the Vote is quite possible the most well known.

“We are seeing an unprecedented interest and engagement,” Director of Rock the Vote Jehmu Green said.

According to Green, young voters will be the swing vote in this year’s presidential election, with an estimated 20 million Americans aged 18 to 25 voting.

This election has students and other young voters focusing on different issues than older voters.

“Young people are looking for answers,” Green said. “Don’t talk about the Vietnam era-these voters weren’t even born then.”

To date, Rock the Vote has registered over 940,000 voters, which is close to its goal of 1,000,000 voters.

Despite the interest in voting, many students have had difficulties with registering to vote. Some states have implemented strict rules which make it difficult to declare residency or complete necessary voter registration paperwork.

“Obstacles and barriers put into place for voters that we just don’t see in other democratized countries,” Green said. “We’ve seen this year that students have come under attack from election officials.”

Additionally, Green stresses that more states need to have same day voter registration. Currently, Wisconsin, Minnesota and New Hampshire all have same day registration, as well as a 15 percent higher youth voter turnout than other states.

While some may say that young people tend to vote democrat, Green is quick to argue.

“The young generation is still definitely up for grabs,” she said.

Green states that candidates need to address specific solutions to war on terrorism, possibility of a military draft. She adds that the candidates have 30 days to show us.

>> For more information, visit www.RocktheVote.com.

Leigha Taber can be contacted at ltaber@miami.edu