Last Sunday Catherine Rampell wrote an article for The Washington Post titled, “Why Obama Rocks the Vote?,” overlooking the depth of the young voter movement, the foundation laid and impact of organizations like Rock the Vote and other youth organizations, and why 2008 is on track to be the third major election in a row with a significant increase in young voter turnout.

Rock the Vote fought back and wrote a letter-to-the-editor (LTE) of the Washington Post, and called on our brother and sister organizations to do the same. We are happy to report The Washington Post ran our LTE and an LTE from Public Interest Research Groups' New Voter (PIRG) and U.S. Student Association (USSA) yesterday. Check them out right here...

Rock the Vote's Response

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Senate Bill 436 is currently being reviewed by Congress. If it’s passed, 17-year-olds across the country will be eligible to vote in local, state and Presidential primaries as long as their 18 by Election Day. At Rock the Vote, we know the sooner young folks become involved in making decisions that shape our country, the more likely we will continue to exercise our voting right. In fact, 11 states allow 17-year-olds to vote; and participation by young voters between 18-24 in those states exceed the national average. If the steady rise in young voter turnout we’ve witnessed since ’04 is any indication of our increased interest in politics, let’s hope Congress is wise and passes a bill that will continue to empower, engage and encourage the next generation to be involved and believe in our Country’s political process and system.