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Three Democratic Youth Voting Groups Team Up in Nevada to Stop One Night Stands

Posted by Kevin Bondelli on January 17, 2008

Young Voter PAC
Hope to Turn Out the Youth Vote and Provide a “Meaningful Relationship with Democracy”

Las Vegas, NV-Three Democratic youth groups-Democrats Work, Young Voter PAC and Young Democrats of Nevada-are teaming up in Nevada to let young people know they need to caucus for Democrats on January 19th, but they don’t want it to be a one night stand.

“The lesson of Iowa and New Hampshire is that if you connect with young people in meaningful ways, they get involved,” said Thomas Bates, executive director of Democrats Work. “Our mission at Democrats Work is to engage young people in a new kind of politics – a politics of service – that blends community service and political action to make sure they stay involved after Saturday. Helping to turn out the youth vote on Saturday is the first step. With community service projects, Democrats will make sure that we don’t wait until November to engage young people again.”

Using a creative message to get young people’s attention and using non-traditional outreach in high school parking lots, bars and coffee shops, the three Democratic youth groups are hitting the streets to get their peers to the Nevada caucus and to provide opportunities all year long for them to stay involved in Democratic politics.

“Since August, the Young Democrats of Nevada have been aggressively educating young voters about the caucus process at high schools, colleges and communities around the state,” said Jason Fromoltz, President of the Young Democrats of Nevada. “We have seen firsthand the excitement among Nevada’s youth that has been generated by this campaign season and know that the youth vote will play a crucial role in deciding the winner of the Nevada Democratic Presidential Caucus.”

All three groups will remain active in Nevada after the caucus is over. Through community service programs, Young Democrat chapters and supporting candidates who target young people, the groups offer a wide range of activities young people in Nevada can do to have a “meaningful relationship with Democracy.” Research shows that with continued involvement more young people will show up for Democrats on Election Day in November.

“Young people showed up strong for Democrats in both Iowa and New Hampshire, now all eyes are on Nevada,” said Jane Fleming Kleeb, the executive director of the Young Voter PAC. “Nevada young people increased their voting in 2004 by 13% and we know if candidates and youth groups target young people they will turn out again.”

More About the Groups:
Leaders of the groups quoted in this release, and featured below, will be in Las Vegas and are available for interviews. Press is also welcome to come with the volunteers to bars and other spots around Las Vegas.

Democrats Work is a national organization that mobilizes Democratic volunteers to do community service projects. Last year, DW partnered with Democratic organizations and elected officials in Nevada to paint out graffiti in Las Vegas and build trails and cleanup parks in Reno. Democrats Work was founded by Bates and his college roommate, Jason Carter, who is the son of 2006 U.S. Senate candidate, Jack Carter, and a grandson of former President Jimmy Carter.

Young Voter PAC, a national group that helps Democrats win with the youth vote, is based on a simple idea…that politics is better off with more young people involved. The youth vote has emerged as a critical bloc of voters for Democrats in recent years and the Young Voter PAC helps Democratic candidates, state parties and allied groups with their youth vote strategies.

Young Democrats of Nevada is the official youth arm of the Nevada State Democratic Party. The Young Democrats is the largest youth political organization in the state of Nevada, comprised of chapters from schools and communities from around the state.

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