With your ongoing support, we’ve been busy fighting for values-aligned candidates and boosting voter turnout in Oregon’s primary elections! Voting is a critical way for young people to be civically engaged, and we know that it’s not only a truly impactful way for young people to have a say in issues that affect our everyday lives, but that it is a key way to begin introducing young people to other forms of organizing and engagement as well. The primary elections are now over (phew), and we’re taking some time to reflect on how it went.
Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve adapted to doing virtual get out the vote (gotv) efforts for the past two years. For the 2022 primary, we reached out to 18-29 year olds that are located in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas county.
GOTV by the numbers:
- Our endorsement committee of board members, youth cohort members and volunteers endorsed a broad slate of candidates who come from our communities and will fight for Oregon youth.
- With the help of 6 paid Election Interns, we made 54,237 calls getting out the vote to young people ages 18-29. The Election Interns were a highly engaged and enthusiastic group of young people who were excited to talk to voters about the candidates. Several interns made their own fact sheets about the candidates to be able to answer more voter questions.
- Election Interns’ calls elevated our Tier 1 candidates: Jo Ann Hardesty, AJ McCreary, Wlnsvey Campos, Brian Decker, Annessa Hartman and Libra Forde. Jo Ann Hardesty, Wlnsvey Campos, Annessa Hartman, and Libra Forde secured the nomination to move forward to the 2022 general election.
We know have some huge opportunities coming up in the 2022 November election. We’ll be working to reach out to young voters ages 18 – 29 to help elect progressive candidates be elected, as well as pass critical ballot measures focusing things like the Portland charter review commission proposal.
We truly appreciate your trust and partnership in making this work happen, as led by young people.
Take care,
Devin Ruiz, she/her
Movement Building Director