ROCK THE VOTE STATEMENT ON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT
Rock the Vote, the largest non-profit and non-partisan organization in the United States building the political power of young people, honors the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) by calling on lawmakers to restore the VRA in its entirety.
“Today we honor the 50th anniversary of the historic Voting Rights Act, the most significant pieces of legislation removing barriers to the ballot box,” says Ashley Spillane, President of Rock the Vote. “We commend the young people who sacrificed so much and marched 50 years ago to protect their fundamental right to make their voice heard through voting, but there is still work to do. Millennials want free and fair access to the ballot box — and an elections process that meets the needs of the 21st century electorate. We must reform our elections to include online voter registration, longer early vote periods and longer polling hours. Voting is not a partisan issue and we should all be doing what we can to generate greater participation among the largest, most diverse generation in this country’s history. The exclusion of eligible voters in the electoral system is a serious and dangerous problem facing our democracy.”
With 12,000 Americans turning 18 every day, it’s more important than ever for young people to feel empowered to set the course for our country by making their voices heard at the ballot box.
About Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote is the largest non-profit and non-partisan organization in the United States building the political power of young people. Fusing pop culture, politics, and technology, Rock the Vote works to mobilize the millennial voting bloc and the youth vote, protect voting rights, and advocate for an electoral process and voting system that works for the 21st century electorate. Since 1990, Rock the Vote has revolutionized the use of pop culture, music, art and technology to inspire political activity. Now, for almost 25 years, Rock the Vote has pioneered ways to make voting easier by simplifying and demystifying voter registration and elections for young adults.
Rock the Vote has run the largest voter registration drives for young people on record during the past six Presidential elections. In 2008 and 2012, our on-the-ground efforts, online organizing, and cutting-edge tools and technologies made us the largest non-partisan voter engagement campaign in the nation. All of these efforts have resulted in Rock the Vote processing nearly seven million voter registrations, bringing millions more to the polls, and becoming a trusted resource for young people, government agencies, and technological innovators passionate about political discourse and engagement. See more information here.