THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
Yesterday, September 22, was National Voter Registration Day in the United States. To mark the occasion, the Edward M. Kennedy Institute has launched a new website to encourage Americans to register and vote, not just in 2020, but in all future US elections.
The 'Just Vote' website is a nonpartisan resource designed to inform, engage and educate Americans on the importance of voting. The website also contains key information on how, when and where to vote, as well as a range of articles, videos and commentary on the history of voting. 'Just Vote' also incorporates contemporary voting data, to allow visitors to research the progression of voting in the United States.
The Board of the Kennedy Institute features American leaders including human rights advocate Martin Luther King III, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, former Senator Chris Dodd, and former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card. They worked with an advisory group which includes philanthropist and humanitarian Cindy McCain and former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to develop 'Just Vote'.
Bruce Percelay, Board Chair of the Kennedy Institute, said that "In light of what is happening right now across our nation, "Just Vote" could not be more important or urgent. The mission of the Institute is intimately connected to the questions currently being asked about the future of our Democracy ... It is our hope that the tools and resources we've made available through JustVote.org will captivate and motivate the next generation of American citizens to fully participate in our democratic process."
According to data from the Pew Research Center, 10% of eligible voters in the US 2020 Elections will come from Generation Z (those aged up to 21). Combining Generation Z Americans with Millenials (those born between 1981 and 1996), accounts for nearly 40% of eligible voters. These two groups are target audiences for the Just Vote project.
Victoria Reggie Kennedy, President of the Board and co-founder of the Kennedy Institute, explained that "Throughout his career, my late husband Senator Edward Kennedy worked to expand voting rights and increase civic engagement. He believed especially in the transformative power of young people to effect the necessary change we need. In that same spirit, we are launching 'Just Vote' and JustVote.org."
For more information on Just Vote, check out the new website, www.justvote.org. For more details on the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, go to www.emkinstitute.org
