UTAH NONPROFIT- VOTERISE – WITH MISSION TO REGISTER MILLENNIALS TO VOTE LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN IN CONJUNCTION WITH NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION MONTH (SEPTEMBER)
VOTERISE Will Deploy GiveWhen, a Trigger-Based Platform, to Raise Funds to Support Their Efforts to Increase Turnout for November Municipal Elections and 2018 Midterm Elections
In honor of September being National Voter Registration Month (and National Voter Registration Day on September 26), VOTERISE, Utah’s only nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging millennials and other under-represented groups to register and vote, is launching a new, innovative campaign. The premise of GiveWhen, a trigger-based fundraising platform, is that contributors donate only for each new voter registration VOTERISE secures on a monthly basis with a cap of 300 registrants per month. Based on giving 10 cents per registration, a donor’s monthly contribution would not exceed $30, even if registrations exceed 300. This highly accountable form of fundraising is expected to be popular among millennials and others because they are donating only when VOTERISE delivers. The campaign runs through October 2018, and contributors are able to opt out at any time if they no longer wish to participate. Those wishing to participate in the GiveWhen campaign can donate at www.voterise.org.
In 2016, VOTERISE introduced registration via text messaging to Utah, which was a factor in directly registering and facilitating the registration of 6,000 potential voters.
“An impressive 80 percent of VOTERISE’s online and text registrants turned out to vote in 2016,” says Elsa Gary, Co-Founder of VOTERISE. “Other voter registration organizations regard this as an outstanding rate, especially for a new organization, so we are truly pleased with the campaign’s success and are excited to launch GiveWhen to raise the funds that will support our intensive efforts to register even more voters in advance of this year’s municipal and the 2018 midterm elections.”
This success can be attributed to what sets VOTERISE apart from other voter registration organizations. In addition to increasing voter registration and turnout, the nonprofit’s goal is to educate, empower, and engage Utah’s millennials.
Gary says, “We view our registrants as much more than potential voters; we consider them future leaders in their communities. We encourage them to get involved in various ways beyond voting, e.g., volunteering in their communities or becoming active with organizations that deal with issues important to them.”
There is a pressing need for VOTERISE in Utah. In the 2016 national elections, the state ranked a troubling 39th of 50 states in overall turnout by eligible citizens. In the 2014 midterm elections, only 8.1% of Utah’s 18-29 year olds actually voted, less than half of the 19.9% national average.
As the municipal elections with their traditionally low-voter turnout approach in November, VOTERISE will educate millennials about the importance of voting in these elections as the outcome can have profound impact on their daily lives. Given that many local races are won by a handful of votes, their vote is meaningful and essential. VOTERISE is developing a video series to acquaint young people and others with the responsibilities of local elected officials. The organization will also educate about the 2017 ballot initiatives and spotlight the issues surrounding the Congressional District 3 Special Election in nonpartisan terms.
“Utah is the youngest state in the country, and the importance of the youth population will continue to grow. There is a lot of work to be done to ensure millennials have a voice,” says Gary.
In an effort to connect with millennials, VOTERISE will implement an intensive social media campaign, and campus representatives will be at Utah colleges and universities stimulating registration. A strong presence will also be seen at popular entertainment and sporting events, and VOTERISE will spearhead on-site voter registration at the offices of Utah companies with large numbers of Millennial employees.
ABOUT VOTERISE
VOTERISE is a nonpartisan nonprofit 501(c)(3) founded in 2016 with the mission to educate, empower and engage Utah’s 18 to 29 year-olds and other under-represented groups to register and vote in order to build a more vibrant and inclusive democracy in Utah. Since the millennial generation is the largest in U.S. history, it has the potential to be the largest voting bloc. It is critical that millennials have a voice on the many issues that will strongly impact their lives and shape the future of Utah and America. For more info, visit www.voterise.org.
