$50K program made possible by Tom Steyer
In a bid to buck the conventional wisdom that says millennials don’t vote, the Contra Costa County Young Democrats (CCYD) today launched one of the largest youth voter engagement project of its kind in California.
“Many people in politics assume that young people don’t vote,” said Jonathan Bash, President of the Contra Costa County Young Democrats. “That assumption is dead wrong. The truth is that those running most campaigns elect not to reach out to people under the age of forty out of sheer habit. This June, we’re going to change that.”
In partnership with the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County and the Contra Costa County Democratic Clubs Council, CCYD will lead the charge to turn out the youth vote in Contra Costa County with a major voter engagement campaign. The campaign is made possible by a $50,000 contribution from NextGen Climate President and Founder Tom Steyer, as part of his ongoing efforts to strengthen grassroots democracy and boost voter turnout in California this election cycle.
In the first phase of the project, CCYD will recruit three fellows from Diablo Valley College, Saint Mary’s College of California, and Los Medanos College, establish ten incentive grants for star volunteers, host on-campus events, and coordinate volunteers throughout the county to register voters — and convince voters to become Permanent Absentee Voters (PAV) – at public gatherings like farmers’ markets, concerts and community festivals
In the second phase, CCYD will turn out these newly registered voters and reach out to currently registered voters between the ages of 18-39. Each of the voters will receive a number of contacts encouraging them to vote in the June 7, 2016 statewide primary election. Additionally, the three fellows, volunteers, project partners and additional canvassers will execute a Get Out The Vote (GOTV) campaign knocking on young voters’ front doors to convince them to vote.
In the third phase, CCYD will conduct a precinct-by-precinct analysis of its efforts to identify best practices and adapt them for the November 8, 2016 general election.
More information about the Contra Costa Young Democrats – and details for interested fellows and volunteers — is available at www.cocoyoungdems.org. Learn more about NextGen Climate at www.nextgenclimate.org.
The Contra Costa Young Democrats (CCYD) is a nonprofit organization chartered to educate young people about the political process and advocate for progressive policies. CCYD engages Contra Costa County’s many communities and empowers young people to take active roles in public life.
NextGen Climate Action is a San Francisco-based environmental advocacy organization. Founded by businessperson and philanthropist Tom Steyer in 2013, NextGen acts politically to prevent climate disaster and promote prosperity for all Americans. Working at every level, we are committed to supporting candidates, elected officials, and policymakers across the country that will take bold action on climate change.
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