VOTE HARD
The VOTE HARD campaign, an initiative of the NAACP Youth & College Division and the NAACP National Voter Fund, seeks to empower voters that are within the youngest part of the electorate. The idea is simply to encourage people to not only THINK HARD but to VOTE HARD. The campaign will consist of a three-point empowerment strategy focused on Education Outreach, Grassroots Outreach and Social Outreach. NAACP youth units will conduct various voter registration initiatives, education forums and mobilization efforts on college campuses and in the community.
The argument remains constant, how does an age old institution such as the NAACP continue to reach out to its constituents. The solution is that no other organization in this country has the grassroots organizing structure of the NAACP. More importantly, the NAACP Youth and College Division is the only youth, grassroots organization that reaches over 500 cities and campuses around the country.
CAMPAIGN GOALS
- Register 100,000 young voters – particularly within the African American community
- Mobilize young voters on Election Day to make a political impact in their communities
- Increase the participation of NAACP youth units in the overall voter empowerment efforts of the Association
- Create VOTE HARD Coalitions – a network of stakeholders in cities across the country that will strategize about ways to engage young people and the local community in the campaign
- Engage members and executives in the entertainment industry to register and mobilize young voters
- Create a VOTE HARD staff that will include campus, state, and regional coordinators to help coordinate the VOTE HARD efforts in targeted states
- Partner with supporters to brand the VOTE HARD message through Election Day 2008.
NATIONAL INITIATIVES
- VOTE HARD Bus Tour
- The VOTE HARD campaign will utilize a voter empowerment bus to travel to various cities and campuses around the country to conduct registration and education efforts. The bus will include paraphernalia, music and various voter empowerment components.
- VOTE HARD Concerts & Step Shows
- A series of concerts and step shows will be held in target states across the country to promote the VOTE HARD message. The admission of the concert will be a voter registration card or on-site voter registration (where applicable, depending on state voter laws).
- Multimedia/ World Wide Web Initiatives
- Partnering with social networking sites such as Myspace, Facebook, and Friendster will be valuable tools in this effort. These sites will be used to brand the message of the VOTE HARD campaign. In addition, a VOTE HARD website will be created.
- Public Service Announcements/Commercials
- The NAACP will bring mass media outlets on board to air Public Service Announcements and commercials about the campaign. NAACP leaders, celebrities and unit members will be included in promotional materials. Commercials created by Comcast are already in rotation in their market states across the country.
