About Us

Young Voter PAC

Young Voter PAC is based on a simple idea: politics would be better off if more young people were involved.

Young Voter PAC will support candidates who reach out to young voters and include us as an important part of their campaign strategy. Progressive candidates who mobilize young voters and speak to their issues need our help to do it.

We want politicians to pay attention to young people, and we want young people to have a voice in campaigns. Young Voter PAC is one way to change the faces of elections: who participates and who wins.

The Challenge

Young people have, in the past, voted in fewer numbers than other age groups - and so oftentimes that politicians simply write them off. And yet, the vast majority of people choose their political affiliation between the ages of 18-35 - and vote that way for the rest of their lives.

Candidates and politicians, time and time again, do not speak to the needs and issues of young people - even though this constituency will be around the longest of any of their constituencies.

The challenge is to engage young people - to respect them - and to ask for their support.

Fortunately, we know that when we ask young people to be involved and when they know what is at stake - they will respond.

For the 2004 elections, young people turned out in record numbers. While overall turnout among Americans increased only 4%, people under 25 increased their turnout by 11%.

In 2005, the trend continued. The number of votes cast in precincts with a high concentration of college students increased by an average of 15.1 percent above the 2001 election in Virginia, and by an average of 19.9 percent above the 2001 election in New Jersey.

This increase happened in part because of the hard work of countless organizations, activists and donors who paid attention to young voters.

We cannot stop now.

The Plan

This new generation of young voters - Generation Y or the Millennials - is increasingly progressive, and supported Democrats over Republicans by a 13 point margin in 2004. Republicans are not going to sit idly by and let this generation slip away from them. Even now, they are planning ways to bring these young voters back to the Republican Party.

We must constantly encourage young people to stay progressive. We must constantly remind politicians that young people can help them win elections now and into the future. This means providing candidates with the necessary resources and the skills.

Young Americans need progressive leaders. Progressive leaders need young Americans.

Young Voter PAC is one important - and new - way to bring these two groups of people together.

We will change the way campaigns are run.

What?

There are great Democratic candidates and campaigns that need financial help and the investment from young people in order to make young people a part of their winning strategy. Though small donations might not go far alone; together, the donations of young people will go far in advancing progressive candidates.

In addition to financial contributions we will also organize volunteer support and provide technical assistance on young voter outreach programs to all of our candidates.

Who?

The Young Voter PAC was founded up by a group of young progressives who led the youth vote efforts in 2004 as well as lead earlier youth vote efforts dating back to the 90s.

We assembled a team of the best organizers and fundraisers to raise and direct money. The team includes an operations team that is administering the organization, a board of directors which is fundraising and providing counsel on organizational strategy, and a committee of campaign experts to research and vet the campaigns we will support.

Why?

We are committed to helping progressives - from school board to President - win grassroots elections by working with young people. We are committed to helping young people strengthen their political voice by donating to candidates that recognize their importance. We are committed to engaging a new generation of young progressives, and encouraging them to work with and for progressives the rest of their lives. This means establishing ourselves as a generation of donors in addition to continuing to be a generation of voters and volunteers.

How?

We need YOU to help us.

In 2005 we tested our approach. We donated $5,000 to 3 state legislative campaigns and provided dozens of campaign workers to those candidates and to state wide campaign efforts.

Young Voter Pac endorsed 16 Democratic candidates for office in 2006 that had a concrete enthusiastic young voter outreach program. Our endorsed candidates were in the key races needed to win legislative majorities for Democrats, and are a diverse and energized group of candidates that inspire and lead all Americans.

In 2007, we endorsed 2 candidates that demonstrate the willingness and plans to target young voters.

Our goal is to financially support 25 candidates in 2008 at the federal, state, and local level.