AKRON, OHIO—Sept. 22, 2015—A program that engages young people in discussions about civic issues and voting through text messages, will come to Akron with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Led by the National Institute for Civil Discourse, Text, Talk, Vote is designed to reach young people where they live, through the use of mobile technology and social media, combined with face-to-face conversations, events and community organizing.
Related Links
“Text, Talk, Vote seeks successful formula to engage young voters in local elections” by Georgia Hollister Isman and Carolyn H. Lukensmeyer on Knight Blog
“The voices of young voters are so important and so often missing,” said Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer, Ph.D., executive director of the National Institute for Civil Discourse. “Text, Talk, Vote can give millennials a comfortable way to engage meaningfully in conversations about the mayoral election. In the process, they will learn about issues, make more informed decisions and get excited about voting in the Nov. 3 elections.”
Text, Talk, Vote Akron will hold two events—a pilot on Sept. 30 and a citywide event on Oct. 27. Individuals or organizations that organize Text, Talk, Vote conversations can win $1,000 prizes for their schools or community organizations. The National Institute for Civil Discourse provides all of the materials needed to organize a conversation or a larger group event.
“Voting is a measure of how committed people are to improving their city and to its future success,” said Carol Coletta, Knight Foundation vice president for community and national initiatives. “Through initiatives like these we hope to discover new ways to engage young people in local elections and encourage a new generation of voters to become regular participants in our democracy.”
To participate, young people are asked to organize a group of three to five people, using one cellphone per group. After texting the word “AKRON” to 89800, they will receive a series of text messages that will guide the group through a conversation on civic engagement, voting and specific issues facing Akron. The messages will include videos, social media interactions, and a series of questions. Answers will be tracked anonymously, allowing participants to see how others are responding to the same questions. For the October event, Text, Talk, Vote will also provide a link to information on candidates’ positions on various issues.
Anonymous data collected from participant responses during the event will be shared with the local media and mayoral candidates. Findings will help highlight the voices and concerns of young people. Data can also be made available to schools or community groups that want to better understand how the young people they serve are thinking about the city and local elections.
Text, Talk, Vote was tested in New Hampshire in 2014. Leading up to statewide elections the tool helped collect information about the concerns of young voters, allowing participants to discuss important issues such as job growth and public safety. As a result of Text, Talk, Vote conversations, twenty percent of participants went from planning to skip the election to planning to vote. Akron will be the first city to experiment with Text, Talk, Vote in a municipal race.
A recent report released by Knight Foundation in association with Lake Research partners explored the reasons behind declining rates of participation in local elections among millennials. Akron was one of three cities profiled in the report.
For more information on Text, Talk, Vote and how to start a conversation in your school or community, visit nicd.arizona.edu/text-talk-vote.
About the National Institute for Civil Discourse
The National Institute for Civil Discourse is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization at the University of Arizona that integrates research and practice to move the needle on the political dysfunction and incivility that prevents our government from dealing with the tough issues facing the country. For more, visit nicd.arizona.edu.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit knightfoundation.org.
CONTACT
Georgia Hollister Isman, Text, Talk, Vote Akron project manager, 413-695-1786, [email protected]
Anusha Alikhan, director of communications, Knight Foundation, 305-908-2677, [email protected]