Electoral Engagement
By 2015, young voters will make up one-third of the US electorate. And yet in Colorado’s last presidential election only half of eligible voters between the ages of 18 and 25 voted. Perhaps that’s because many young people feel skeptical about the power of their vote, or prefer the more hands-on involvement of direct service and volunteerism. But in fact, there’s never been a better time to engage young voters in ways that are personal, powerful, and immediate.
- “We know students crave meaningful involvement;" says CCC Membership Services Coordinator Lauren Alweis, who manages the Election Fellows Program, "our goal is to provide programming that gives them a deeper understanding of the democratic process and inspires them to participate in concrete, impactful ways.”
Since its founding, CCC’s commitment to election work has grown in depth and scope. Recent initiatives, such as Campus Vote, helped to register more than 30,000 new young voters with innovative projects—from canvassing to playfully hosting candidate boxing matches in bouncy castles—all to inspire student excitement and involvement.
Election Fellows Program
More recently, CCC has teamed up with faculty and staff from CCC member campuses as well as with community partners, such as Colorado Common Cause and local elections divisions, to create the Election Fellows Program. Thanks to a grant from the Elections Assistance Commission, CCC has been able to create a comprehensive curriculum and hands-on experience that brings young people to work the polls on Election Day, so they can feel the power of democracy in action.
Currently, CCC offered two program options for students based on geographic location. The Denver program is a lecture-based and includes in-person meetings and discussion. For course information click on the appropriate link: Online program & Denver program.
To see the Final Report on the Election Fellows Program, please click here: http://www.cccompact.org/sites/default/files/CEF%20Final%20Grant%20Report.pdf
CCC’s Election Fellows Program is based on work supported by a grant from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). Any opinion, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the EAC.
