Yes...We MUST keep up the momentum.

I have seen many articles in the wake of Tuesday's election surprised at the voter turnout among Millennials and instead of recognizing the Millennials as a new powerful voting bloc, they automatically began musing on whether members of the generation would actually make a difference or keep up the momentum.

Since this is OUR generation, what do you think?


http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10939331?nclick_check=1

Millennials Get Politics - We Told You So

Harvard University’s Institute of Politics Poll Released

Millennials are increasingly engaged and understand that poiltics can effectively solve our problems. In the last two years we’ve seen a 9% increase, according to Harvard University’s Institute of Politics’ latest poll of 18-24 year olds out yesterday.

Among the many results is this one:

“More young people see the effectiveness of political engagement than one year ago. Nearly seven in ten 18-24 year-olds today (69%) say they see political engagement as an effective way of solving our nation’s problems, up six percentage points from fall 2007 (63%) and fall 2006 (60%) IOP polling. Fewer young people today agree that politics is not relevant to their lives (28%) than did one year ago (32%) and fewer believe that elected officials don’t share their
priorities (69%) than did one year ago (71%) or two years ago (75%). In addition, over six in ten young people (68%) say running for office is an honorable thing to do, up from one year ago (67%) and two years ago (66%).”

This is great news, and yet not surprising. It’s great that we have more polling on this. Mobilize.org and many others have been saying this for a long time. It’s shown up in our gut-instinct, anecdotally, and in our own survey of thousands of Millennials that created the Democracy 2.0 Declaration.

The key is for us to support the growing sense of political awareness with opportunities to build more grassroots and netroots action that build Civic Currency. Mobilize.org is working on this and our next Democracy 2.0 Grant Summits focus on just that.

The work enters a new phase on November 5th.

So Sad in This "Youth-Friendly" Election

In a display of age discrimination in this supposedly youth-friendly election, Delaware Valley School Board Director John Kupillas writes the following (Pike Dispatch, 10/16/08) about a nineteen year-old candidate for the board, Ryan Balton:

“Can a teenager fresh out of high school connect to the residents served by this board? Maybe in the future, but not at this point. The section of the brain responsible for decision making and rational thinking doesn’t fully mature until the mid-twenties. Proof? Try to get auto insurance if you are a teen. The risk is the highest of any age group.”

The above commentary comes in the midst of community concern over recent appointments to the Delaware Valley School Board. Mobilize.org sincerely hopes that this situation can be resolved in accordance with the district policies and in the spirit of transparency.

As an organization dedicated to the Millennial Generation, we are disheartened to hear public officials dismiss the intellectual capacity and talent of members of our own generation, especially when these members take active steps to be a part of the political process.


Show your support and get the scoop:


http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/event.php?eid=36475382266&ref=nf

http://rbfordv.blogspot.com/

Polling places lack resources, civil rights group says

"Polling places in six battleground states, including many with large minority populations, could be overwhelmed on Election Day because officials have not allocated enough voting stations, machines and poll workers, a study released Thursday by a civil rights group warns..."

For the rest of the article http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-10-08-racevote_N.htm


My comment

Even before the economic crisis that the United States is facing, the election process in this democracy has received too little investment and inadequate oversight and accountability. The shortage of poll workers, machines and voting stations, are a clear example of how the financial resources dedicated to democracy are not being well managed. As part of the Millennial generation, and as a supporter of the Democracy 2.0 declaration, I honestly believe that we need to increase civic currency in order to guarantee the public's support for full investment in the electoral process. When that happens we will see democratic government at the local, state and national levels that is more responsive to the economic needs of the people and protects the long-term interests of the whole economy from Wall Street to Main Street.