News & Noteworthy Facts

Poll by Rock the Vote, Smackdown Your Vote! and Sacred Heart University Garners Media Attention

The recent poll released by Rock the Vote, Smackdown Your Vote! and Sacred Heart University is garnering media attention by such sites as Politico.com and The Hartford Courant and was noted in a Washington Times article. Check it out!

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Smackdown Your Vote! on Election Day--Tuesday, November 6

This year Election Day falls on Tuesday, November 6, and WWE encourages you to Smackdown Your Vote! Since 2001, WWE has been committed to encouraging young adults 18-30 to register to vote and vote on Election Day. WWE Superstars have participated in numerous rallies throughout the country with elected officials in schools, on college campuses, and other locations.  WWE has also created Public Service Announcements featuring WWE Superstars encouraging viewers to vote.  You can view two PSAs featuring John Cena and Lilian Garcia, respectively, encouraging people to use their voice through voting.  In 2008, WWE and its partners will undertake many different activities to get young adults registered and voting on Election Day. Continue checking back to see where and when Smackdown Your Vote! will be near you. And remember to Smackdown Your Vote! tomorrow on Election Day, November 6.  

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Educating Outside the Ropes
The argyle adorned scholar of ECW’s New Breed, Matt Striker, looked to enlist a different type of breed today in Bridgeport, Conn., – that of young (many first-time) voters at Bridgeport Central High School. As part of WWE’s SmackDown Your Vote! program, the former social studies teacher made a return to academia along with Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz to recruit more than 170 students who registered to vote. To read the full story, please click here.
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Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Teams Up with Matt Striker for Smackdown Your Vote! Rally
The Seminole County Supervisor of Elections office will once again team up with the Smackdown Your Vote! program to conduct a non-partisan voter registration event on Tuesday, June 5, from 10 a.m.-Noon at the campus of Seminole Community College (SCC). WWE Superstar Matt Striker will join Supervisor of Elections Michael Ertel and his staff in addressing a class of SCC students about the importance of registering to vote and taking part of the democratic process.

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Voto Latino Wins Promax Gold Award for Voting PSAs
Voto Latino's 2006 Public Service Announcements (PSAs) won the Promax Award's top prize: The GOLD . The PSAs were written by Voto Latino and directed by Mun2's Ricardo de Montreuil. The PSAs and the celebrity talent appeared on Telemundo, MUN2, LATV, MTV and SiTV.
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Census Figures Confirm 2006 Jump in Young Voter Turnout
Washington, D.C. - New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that, for the second major election in a row, young voter turnout rose in 2006. An analysis of the data from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at the University of Maryland confirms early estimates of increased young voter turnout and finds that 10.8 million 18-29 year olds voted in 2006, a nearly two million vote increase from 2002 levels (8.9 million). This is following young voters' large turnout increase in 2004, when 18-29 year olds cast 4.3 million more ballots than in 2000 and increased their turnout by nine percentage points, more than twice the overall electorate's 4-point increase. CIRCLE's analysis also shows that while turnout was up among all ages in 2006 (by 1.7 percentage points), 18-29 year olds yet again increased their turnout by more, jumping by 3 percentage points from 2002 to 2006 - nearly twice the increase of the overall electorate.
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Victoria and Arizona Secretary of State put the SmackDown on seniors
Victoria went to Central High School in Phoenix on March 5 to put the SmackDown on the senior class about the importance of voting. The visit was part of WWE's SmackDown Your Vote! campaign to encourage young people to become active participants in their democracy. Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer joined Victoria in front of roughly 400 students in the school's auditorium. To read the full story, please click here.
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Speaker Pelosi Hosts iChat
Speaker Pelosi recently had the opportunity to talk with youth in Raleigh, NC and in Fergus Falls, MN from her office in the Capitol via iChat. The Speaker opened the conversation saying, “I wanted to take a brief moment to tell you why I believe tonight’s conversation is so important. By participating in tonight’s iChat, you are helping to promote our democracy as a dialogue – one that includes all young people. I am eager to hear from you and to answer your questions, and I commend you for taking an active roll in important conversations about the future that you will inherit.” To watch videos from the iChat click the following links for flash video or visit the Generation Engage website.
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Pelosi: Student Loan Bill Will Make College Education More Affordable and More Accessible
January 17, 2007– Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on H.R. 5, the College Student Relief Act of 2007, which cuts the interest rates on student loans and passed on the House floor by a vote of 356 to 71, with all Democrats and 124 Republicans voting for the bill:

“Today’s bipartisan vote to cut the interest rate in half on federally subsidized student loans over the next five years will help make a college education more affordable and more accessible for our next generation of leaders and innovators. At a time when college tuition continues to skyrocket, this crucial legislation will help remove some of the barriers to a higher education.

“A college education is the best investment our nation’s young people can make in themselves, and the best investment our nation can make in its future. Democrats will continue to work to ensure that every young person that is determined to earn a higher education is able to do so. Our young people should be driven by their dreams, not weighed down by debt.”
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Young Voter Turnout Up for the Second Major Election in a Row; Exit Poll Shows Young Voter Turnout Up by more than 2 Million Voters Over 2002

Washington, D.C. –Turnout among 18-29 year old voters increased by more than 2 million voters in the 2006 elections compared to 2002, according to an early exit poll analysis released today as part of the first comprehensive look at the youth vote in the midterm elections, presented by Young Voter Strategies. At least 10 million votes were cast by this age group in 2006 compared to 8 million in 2002, and the vote counts are still coming in. Youth-dense precincts that were targeted by Get-Out-the-Vote campaigns showed even larger increases. Turnout more than doubled in the 36 precincts where groups like the nonpartisan Student PIRG’s New Voters Project actively turned out this age cohort.

To read the full press release, please click here.
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Sacred Heart University-WWE Smackdown Your Vote! Poll: Iraq War #1 Issue Facing U.S. in November According to 18-30 Year Olds

In a poll released today, September 20, by Sacred Heart University and WWE's Smackdown Your Vote!, the war in Iraq, national security, the perceived downturn in the economy and the increasingly high cost of education are weighing heavily on the minds of young Americans. And they’re paying attention to whether candidates are addressing issues of importance to them!
To read the press release, please click here.

To view the poll results, please click here.

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Young Voter Strategies Releases New Poll: Young Voters’ Top Issues the Economy, Education and Iraq as Election Day 2006 Nears

Washington, D.C. - With the 2006 elections just over six weeks away, young voters are most focused on education and the cost of college, jobs and the economy, and the war in Iraq, but are not hearing enough from either parties’ candidates on
most of these important issues, according to a new poll released today by The George Washington University’s Young Voter Strategies (YVS) in collaboration with GW-Battleground pollsters. The poll, which catalogues young adults’ attitudes in the 2006 election cycle, shows that young voters are engaged—80 percent are registered to vote—and eager to hear more from candidates on issues including college affordability, job creation, energy independence, and health care.

To read the full pres release, click here.

To read the GW Battleground Poll results, please click here.

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WWE Superstar Queen Sharmell & Minn. Secretary of State Kiffmeyer Launch Voting PSA
Queen Sharmell and Minn. Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer have formed a tag team to encourage Minnesotans to vote in November. A new Public Service Announcement featuring Queen Sharmell and Secretary Kiffmeyer is airing on radio stations throughout Minnesota encouraging people to register to vote and then go to the polls on Election Day. Listen to the PSA by clicking here.
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Text WWE to 75444 to Register to Vote!
WATCH SUPERSTARS ENCOURAGE YOU TO REGISTER TO VOTE! (Click on the link to view the PSA)
John Cena & Matt Striker

Mr. Kennedy
Kristal
Bobby Lashley
Layla
Matt Striker
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WWE Superstar Mr. Kennedy Joins Minn. Secretary of State & Minn. State Representative Sertich at Courage Center Rally
WWE SmackDown Superstar Mr. Kennedy joine Minn. Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer and Minn. State Representative Tony Sertich at a Smackdown Your Vote! rally at the Courage Center in Minneapolis, Minn. The rally included voter registration and a demonstration of the disability accessible voting equipment that will be installed in every polling place in Minn. for this year's elections. Smackdown Your Vote! would like to thank Courage Center CEO Jan Malcom, Secretary Kiffmeyer and Rep. Sertich for a great event!
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Heather Smith of Young Voter Strategies Named One of Campaigns & Elections Magazine's 2006 Rising Stars
Heather Smith, Director of Young Voter Strategies, has been named one of Campaigns & Elections magazine’s Rising Stars of 2006! Congratulations to Heather, one of Smackdown Your Vote!'s hardest working partners.

According to Campaigns & Elections, “Rising Stars are those under 35 who are beginning to make their mark in political consulting or advocacy…[the magazine] chose ten Democrats, ten Republicans, and four nonpartisan leaders out of a pool of several hundred nominees.”

Rising Stars will be honored at the 23rd annual campaign training seminar “The Art of Political Campaigning,” June 1, 2006 in Washington D.C. For more information, see http://www.campaignline.com.
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Latinos Urged to Head for the Polls
By Teresa Watanabe, Times Staff Writer
LA Times
7:54 PM PDT, May 16, 2006
(excerpt)

The largest single pool of potential new Hispanic voters is also regarded as among the most difficult to organize: Native-born young people between the ages of 18 and 29. In addition, voter registration drives can be expensive. Experts say that it could cost at least $5 million to meet the voting campaign's registration goals.

To reach its young audience, Voto Latino has produced public service announcements featuring actress Cameron Diaz and reggaeton artist Tego Calderon. It has organized "street teams" of party promoters and other young Hispanic trendsetters -- called "Kool Kids" -- to create buzz about voting at concerts and other youth venues.

To view the full article, please click here.

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New! Circle Fact Sheets on Social-Issues Voters, Effects of Civic Education on Civic Skills and College Attendance and Civic Engagement

CIRCLE (The Center for Information and Reseach on Civic Learning & Engagement) has produced 36 Fact Sheets, which are brief documents with basic information and graphs on various topics. Visit CIRCLE today to view this very useful information!

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18to35 joins with other leading organizations to launch Youth Policy Action Center

18to35 has played an important role in launching the new version of the Youth Policy Action Center, a website that engages youth and young adults in our democracy by helping change policies that affect young people's lives. Along with the more than 80 organizations from all ideological perspectives, 18to35 will be posting timely action alerts on the Youth Policy Action Center so our members and partners can contact elected officials to make a difference when key policies are being discussed. We encourage you to visit the site.

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Check out Generation Engage's Video Library!

Via iChat technology, political leaders and GenGagers are engaging in genuine discussion about those issues that matter most to you. The Generation Engage Download CHANGE library offers you the ability to search by issue or by politican's names and download the information. Check out what former President Clinton, former Speaker Newt Gingrich and others have to say about the issues!
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A New Generation of Political Idealism in Seattle
Young Seattleites are ready to create a better Seattle

In the March 15 edition of the Seattle Times, Paul Andrew, an 18to35 Innovator, and Alison Carl White, Executive Director of Seattle Works, write about the disconnect between young Seattleites and their government - they perceive self-interested politicians who are unresponsive to the issues that matter to them and to their community.

These young adults break the stereotypes of a whiny, disgruntled generation. Instead, we want to be agents of change in our communities and want our elected officials to inspire us by aspiring to a higher set of values such as honesty, integrity, transparency and accountability.

Based on a New Report by 18to35, the first from our New Generation of Political Idealism project, the authors conclude with specific policy actions that leverage the creativity, ambition and determination of Generations X and Y that could lead to a more engaged populace and a much improved Seattle.

To learn more about 18to35's New Generation of Political Idealism Project, including how you and your organizations can collaborate, please contact us at info@18to35.org.
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e-Congress 2006 Now in Session | January 9, 2006

Spring 2006 marks the fifth annual session of e-Congress, YLI's exciting legislative simulation. Each spring for the last five years, middle and high school students around the country have had the opportunity to roll up their collective sleeves and immerse themselves in the intricacies of the policy-making process.

e-Congress provides in-depth coverage of the workings of Congress. Students are challenged to learn about political ideology and the importance of compromise as they research, write, and debate original legislation in classroom-based committees. e-Congress incorporates valuable tools for teachers, including downloadable student handouts and research guides, a complete teacher records section, and detailed calendar and planning guides for assisting in classroom implementation. The e-Congress schedule allows flexibility in dealing with winter and spring breaks, block schedules, and access to technology resources.

Martha McIntosh at Dana Hills High School in California says "e-Congress was a terrific way to engage my students in a hands-on, first-person bill-writing activity." In fact, more than 96% of teachers who participated in the 2005 session of e-Congress rated the simulation as being of high academic quality and 93% felt their students learned a lot about the legislative process. Just as importantly, students completing e-Congress reported a sense of optimism about the law-making process. Many felt as though they could make a difference and were motivated to learn more about their representatives in Congress.

Current YLI teachers log in and follow prompts to register to participate in e-Congress 2006. Want to participate but not signed up? Simply click Sign Up at the top of the page to join the YLI community of teachers. Registration closes on Tuesday, February 7, 2006.

As always, e-Congress and all YLI resources are FREE OF CHARGE to educators! For further information email ylihelp@virginia.edu or call toll-free 866-514-8389.
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Voter Facts 2005

  • 46.7 percent of college students participated in an organized demonstration last year, which demonstrates a steady upward climb since the late 1980s.
  • Based on the last election, 67% of young people are more likely to get involved in politics.
  • Thirty-four percent consider keeping up with politics to be “very important” or “essential,” showing an increase from 28 percent in 2000.
  • Generation Y, as projected by the Census Bureau, will be 25% of the population in the next decade.
  • “Middle of the road” is still the most popular response among young people when it comes to party identification.

    Stats provided by www.youngvoterstrategies.org

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