Increasing+Interest+in+Voting+(Gina,+Alissa,+Amber)



=__Our proposal __=

==In our wonderful nation, every citizen over the age of 18 is guaranteed the right to vote, no matter race, sex, or religion. With the privilege of enfranchisement comes the inevitable outcome that some will choose not to exercise their rights and not vote in the general election on Nov 2nd. On election day, only about 50% of Americans vote, which results in an elected president that only a quarter of the nation voted for. Increasing voter turnout is a big issue that every state faces whenever Nov 2nd comes around. What will increase the interest of voting in Pennsylvania? If political candidates endorsed famous musicians and sponsored free concerts where attendees were obliged to vote the next day, if not they’d face a small fine, interest in voting would increase tremendously.==

== A big reason why many Americans chose not to vote is because they simply aren’t interested enough and don’t see how their vote will make a difference. In an article explaining why young people should vote, editorialist Erick Mchome said, “ In politics, the choices of the young generation have always seemed to be a barometer of progress. But the problem is to many young people, politics is dull, and not interesting enough to attract their attention” (qtd in The Citizen) In this day age where more young people have a Facebook page than those who chose to vote, it is imperative that political candidates running for election use innovative techniques. A concert featuring some of today’s hottest musicians from different genres such as Taylor Swift, Rhianna, and The Roots, would surely increase voting interest in Pennsylvanian residents of all ages. The fact that the concert would be free would definitely draw a lot of people in, and guarantee that many vote on Nov 2nd. == == How big of an impact do celebrities have on voting? In 2004 Sean, ‘Diddy’ Combs, a famous rap mogul launched a campaign to get young people out to vote titled, ‘Vote or Die’. A Washington Post online article by staff writer Jose Antonio Vargas detailed the impact of the ‘Vote or Die’ campaign. “The 2004 presidential race, as far as the youth vote was concerned, was a landmark election, bringing out nearly 21 million voters under the age of 30 to the polls”(qtd in Washington Post) A concert sponsored by political candidates would not only increase voter turnouts but it would also provide needed funding in the city that the concert is hosted, with the money generated from fines. ==

== In conclusion, Pennsylvania would benefit from a higher voting turnout and extra funding for its state when political candidates use fresh ideas to grab the attention of voters. Please consider my proposal. ==

Gina Dukes
works cited:

Vargas, Antonio. "Vote or Die? Well they did vote."//Washington Post// (2004): 2. Web. 4 Nov 2010. .

Mchome, Erick. "Rocking the youth vote: Why young people must vote in this election." //Citizen// (2010): 1. Web. 4 Nov 2010. .

=Ad to increase interest in voting by Alissa DiBartolomeo =



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Here is a video that Amber Altomare made encouraging others to vote