This is Democracy – Episode 235: Young Voters

[00:00:00] Intro: This is Democracy, a podcast about the people of the United States, a podcast about citizenship, about engaging with politics and the world around you. A podcast about educating yourself on today’s important issues and how to have a voice in what happens next.

[00:00:22] Jeremi:  Welcome to our new episode of This is Democracy.

[00:00:28] Jeremi: This week we are going to discuss, uh, really the topic that’s probably most crucial for the future of our democracy, the role of young people and young voters in our democracy, how they are voting. Why they’re voting in larger numbers, whether they’ll be voting in even larger numbers going forward, and how their votes might, uh, as many of us hope, help to protect our democracy and help to make our democracy more representative and more participatory.

[00:00:56] Jeremi: This is a. Theme of course, of our podcast week after week, what Franklin Roosevelt identified as the obligation of every generation to write, uh, the new chapter in our democracy. We’re, we’re so fortunate to be joined today, uh, by, by Christina Sinon Ramirez. Uh, I’m sure she’s well known to many of our listeners.

[00:01:16] Jeremi: Uh, she’s ubiquitous in. And her idealism and her energy. She’s the president right now and executive director of NextGen America, which is the largest youth vote mobilization organization in the country. She is a millennial, um, and she’s a civil rights leader. She was a candidate for the US Senate in 2020.

[00:01:38] Jeremi: I remember when she announced her candidacy in Austin. Um, and she spent 20 years, uh, taking on some of the most powerful special interests in, uh, the state of Texas where we. And in other areas as well. And she’s very dedicated to the work she’s doing, especially at bringing young individuals and, and those from non-traditional backgrounds, uh, citizens of color, from various different experiences into our political system.

[00:02:04] Jeremi: Uh, Christina, thank you for taking the time to join us today.

[00:02:09] Jeremi: We will start, of course, with our scene setting poem from Mr. Zachary Siri. Uh, Zachary, what’s the title of your poem today

[00:02:16] Zachary: For My Generation and the story we will

[00:02:19] Jeremi: Write? Well, let’s hear it. Tempted

[00:02:22] Zachary: to erase our names from history books whose pages read like lies to escape into our size and reminiscences.

[00:02:30] Zachary: We never really live. We have begun this chapter twice over and. And though the pen fits and the ink already flows, we smudge the words and tear the page and hope no one can see that. In between the wars that rage, we’ve forgotten what we want to be. This new chapter in the book we have to share is long and waiting to be written and yet seems a burden, an obligation.

[00:02:58] Zachary: We must bear. We punch the wall, we yank our hair. We tell them all. We’ll soon make a world that’s fair. And I think we will, I do not worry, find time to rock the boat, but how can we ever start the story if we don’t even vote?

[00:03:17] Jeremi: I like the ending in particular. Zachary, what’s your poem about?

[00:03:19] Zachary: My poem is about, I think the promise of my generation, uh, but of, of young people as a whole.

[00:03:24] Zachary: I’m Gen Z, uh, by the way, uh, if that wasn’t obvious. Um, but I think that, uh, this poem at least is, is an attempt to speak. To the idealism of our generation, um, but also of the ways in which we feel disillusioned or disenfranchised by a political system, which doesn’t always and often does not serve our, our, our interests and, and our

[00:03:46] Jeremi: political beliefs.

[00:03:48] Jeremi: Right. Uh, Christina does Zachary’s poem capture some of the, the spirit behind

[00:03:53] Cristina: NextGen? Oh my God, I love the poem. Um, I think it does. I think it speaks to a lot of young people that feel like they’ve inherited. You know, a pretty raw deal when you look at the climate crisis. You look at grotesque income, inequality, a democracy and decline.

[00:04:09] Cristina: And even with facing all of that, a real hope and belief that through the power of their vote, their vision, they’re coming together, that there can be a different future and day for our country. So I just, I love the poem.

[00:04:23] Jeremi: Hmm. And, and how is, uh, your organization and how are you as, as a, as a prominent and active leader that so many people look up to?

[00:04:31] Jeremi: How, how are you getting young people involved?

[00:04:34] Cristina: Well, I feel like I get to have one of the most important and best jobs in the country, which is I get to leave, as you mentioned, the country’s largest youth though organization. Um, and you know, last, in 2020, we’re still running the numbers for 2022, but in 2020, for example, we helped mobilize one in nine of the young people that turned out we are in this critical moment where, you know, I mentioned some of the things that we’re up against, but also how young people are turning out.

[00:05:01] Cristina: This is the. Civically engaged young generation in American history. The last three elections have had the highest youth voter turnout that our country has seen, 20 18, 20 20, and 2022. Um, and not only that, there’s also some big shifts happening. You know, you mentioned I’m a millennial, Zachary is a Gen Z.

[00:05:21] Cristina: Um, but millennials, I’m, I’m at the, what we call like a grandma, millennials. I’m actually h I’ve reached out of the useful category. But you know, the, the two most common myths or long held beliefs about young people is one that they’re apathetic. They don’t vote, they don’t care. We just talked about how that’s not true.

[00:05:38] Cristina: And the other one is that it doesn’t matter cuz they’re gonna lose all their idealism and just become conservative when they get older. Um, and. The truth is that older millennials are now busting that myth, the longest held belief They are staying and continuing to be progressive even as they reach middle age.

[00:05:56] Cristina: And so we’re seeing a big shift happen, um, not just in reshaping like. Whether Republicans or Democrats are in control, but also remaking the Democratic party because of course the majority of young people do vote for progressive and democratic candidates.

[00:06:12] Zachary: You mentioned, uh, the increasing, I think, participation of young people like myself, uh, in the electorate and in elections and in the political process as a whole.

[00:06:22] Zachary: But the, I think one of the cruel ironies of this moment is that even as more young people are becoming politically conscious, uh, we have older and older people. In, in leadership. Why do you think that is?

[00:06:34] Cristina: I mean, we know that one of the greatest challenges, and you know what you, when I ran for US Senate, the most popular thing I talked about was how we got money out of politics.

[00:06:46] Cristina: And I think there is wide support actually, both on the right and left from voters that are sick of how much influence money has in our political system and to. A candidate, you often have to have wealth. You often have to have greater stability. We don’t create a system of publicly financed elections, for example.

[00:07:04] Cristina: We make it very hard for people that don’t come from a certain income or a certain level of stability in their life to be able to run for office. And so when you look at who’s in Congress and the Senate, and then you look at the population overall, it’s very disconnected. The, the, the, the, the average age of the American population.

[00:07:24] Cristina: But we also do have really exciting things happening. A cohort of especially young dynamic candidates coming into Congress and really shaking up, um, what’s proposed, what’s put on the agenda and, um, the solutions that get put forth. And so just having a few elected officials. Uh, Congressman Maxwell Frost first Gen Z candidate in Congress out of Florida.

[00:07:48] Cristina: Of course a o c everybody knows, uh, Greg Kasar, um, here in, um, from Austin, Texas. These candidates are also inspiring many, many young people to come out and vote and believe that they too could hold elected office. So while the status quo is not what we want, it is, taking re is taking a new shape right before our.

[00:08:11] Jeremi: W what are some of the issues, Christina, you’ve mentioned already climate. What are some of the other issues that are really motivating young voters? My understanding is that women’s choice is certainly one of them. Yes.

[00:08:22] Cristina: Yeah. You know, um, previous, so we, our organization has been around, um, for 10 years and, uh, uh, first I’ll say when we were launched 10 years ago was the idea that if we harness the political power of young people, we could tackle the.

[00:08:35] Cristina: Problem, um, our entire planet faces, which is the climate crisis. And 10 years ago everyone said it was a waste of time and money to invest in young people that that was not the pathway to make political change. And now it’s 10 years later and we’ve seen the passive to the of the inflation reduction Act.

[00:08:51] Cristina: The largest single bill by any country on the planet to tackle the climate crisis. But of course, young people don’t just care about one issue. They have multiple issues. And previous to this election, abortion was not really in the top issues, but overturning Roe v. Wade has. Awoken a generation of young people, especially a generation of young women.

[00:09:14] Cristina: Um, and the majority of young people we surveyed this last election in poll after poll, said that they were coming out and voting because of abortion rights. Um, two and three of them said that they felt like abortion was on the ballot, that it was their main issue to come out. And we saw huge upticks.

[00:09:33] Cristina: State after state of young women registering after the reversal of ROE and outpacing, um, their male counterparts in some places like Pennsylvania, which is a historic to happen, for them to register at 10 points higher than their male counterparts in the youngest age bracket. And so you just had a. You know, a, a Wisconsin Supreme Court race in an off year election that most people would not be paying attention to, where young people just made a tremendous impact on that race, which will also have an impact on the entire, uh, composition of, um, the districts and that state.

[00:10:08] Cristina: And do in large part, because young people, especially young women, understood that if they won the Supreme Court race with a more progressive candidate, they could overturn a. Held abortion ban in the state, I think dating back to 1849. And so this is a huge mobilizing force right now for young people across the country.

[00:10:30] Zachary: I, I, that, that all, um, makes a lot of sense and I think it, it contributes to, to this popular belief, uh, which is by and large, accurate that young people. Are more progressive and vote more democratic, uh, than their parents or their grandparents. Uh, but there are, I think, very strong political divides within the young generation as well, and, and people from very different backgrounds and perspectives.

[00:10:55] Zachary: Do you think that the, the present party system and, and party organizations, particularly on the left, serve young people?

[00:11:06] Cristina: I think we have a host of challenges in the American democratic system. Um, you know, democracy in itself has always been a radical proposition, but it has always been imperfect and anything made by human beings is, you know, I think there’s a lot of young people you bring up.

[00:11:21] Cristina: The fact, yes, young people overwhelmingly vote for Democrats. There are conservative young people, they are a minority. Um, uh, you know, over 60% of young people voted for Democratic candidates this last election. And the other thing I would mention is actually previous to this generation, you know, previous to 2004, like in the 2004 election, John Kerry and um, uh, George Bush.

[00:11:46] Cristina: Split almost evenly the youth vote. And that really, it really started to shift after that election where Democrats took more and more of, um, the youth vote. And it’s consistently growing to be more democratic. But most young, a lot of young people, if you survey and ask them what’s their party affiliation, they will actually say they’re independents, that they don’t subscribe to either party.

[00:12:10] Cristina: And, and that’s because young people care overwhelmingly about progressive policy and less about the party. Um, and I, that’s why I think it’s really hard for Republicans to capture the youth vote because when you talk about L G B T Q equality, gun violence, um, policing and racial justice, Uh, climate change issues that are very clearly overwhelmingly young people are aligned on.

[00:12:36] Cristina: They don’t have policies that speak to young people at all on those issues. And so I, it’s really casting, I think, a, a different future of what’s possible, because what we’re seeing again is that young people are not becoming more conservative even as they’re aging out of this youngest age bracket.

[00:12:52] Zachary: I, I know it can be sometimes a sort of dirty word among young people, but do you think then with this renewed focus on policy, uh, that, that this generation, my generation and yours, uh, is more pragmatic or more problem solving focused, uh, than than previous generations?

[00:13:11] Zachary: Do you think that’d be accurate?

[00:13:13] Cristina: Yeah, I mean, I think that, you know, both you and I look. The potential of living through constant, constant consequences of failure. Failure to act on big issues and only trying to make change at the margins. Or an unwillingness to do what we know is right and instead answer to lobbyists and donors.

[00:13:38] Cristina: So when we talk about the climate crisis and. Future generations, our generation will face young people no longer believe that we can only make change around the margins, but are demanding broad structural change and aren’t willing to accept not just what’s politically feasible, but want to expand what’s possible.

[00:13:58] Cristina: And that’s exactly, I think what we need to make government work for ordinary people. It’s been a good 30 years that drove us to a place where not only do we have the climate crisis, Growing and grotesque income inequality where we can’t seem to raise the minimum wage. Where people that work full-time live in poverty, where a huge percentage of Americans, um, uh, may lose their homes or face financial catastrophe because they can’t keep up with their medical bills.

[00:14:29] Cristina: And I think we are long past a place of believing. The status quo is acceptable, um, and understand that there has to be a disruption because it has become so harmful and difficult for so many people across the country, especially young people. This is the first generation in American history to be worse off than their parents.

[00:14:51] Cristina: So young people are right to be demanding broad structural change and just instead of just marginal tweaks of the system that has so clearly failed them.

[00:15:01] Jeremi: I, I think, Christina, you’ve articulated this so eloquently. I think there are a number of issues where it’s quite clear that a large number, certainly not all, but a very large number of younger voters are, are, are concerned, motivated, uh, and agree, uh, climate change, as you say.

[00:15:18] Jeremi: Uh, certainly. Uh, Uh, woman’s right to control her body and, and her other things she does with her life. Women’s freedom, uh, reproductive freedoms. Uh, I think certainly, uh, representation, incoming equality, student loans. There are all sorts of issues like that. I guess the, the challenge I always confront when talking to my students and talking to young people around Texas, particularly after the horrible shootings in Uvalde.

[00:15:45] Jeremi: And so many other places is the sense many young people have that there isn’t a path, uh, within our current political system right now. I mean, take the state of Texas where I think it’s quite clear that the representation in Texas, the elected representation for the state that you know, as well as I do, um, just doesn’t care and is doing everything it can to lock in its own control and lock out young people.

[00:16:07] Jeremi: What, what is their response to that?

[00:16:11] Cristina: Well, you know, I think that, What serves the interests of the status quo is to have us fail to believe in our own power, to believe that things are interchangeable. And when you look at a place like Texas, you know, even sometimes when I lose, you know, I have moments when I feel with gun violence, like how can we have in this country, children, babies dying on a regular basis and the place that is supposed to be the most safe and welcoming to them, their.

[00:16:43] Cristina: And, but what gives me hope is the belief ultimately, and that the people do decide and that we have the power when we come together. And in Texas, what I remind young people is, you know, I have spent many years here organizing across our state is that. In Texas, over 400,000 young people turn 18 every single year, and this is the third youngest state in the country.

[00:17:10] Cristina: Only Utah and Alaska are younger and young people. Make up one in three eligible voters in this state that if we register and turn out young voters, they can not only change the political outcome and possibilities of Texas for an election cycle, they get to change the political outcome and possibilities for our entire country for a generation.

[00:17:31] Cristina: But that kind of change doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and investment to build up and investing in young people. What’s exciting to me in this moment, after. You know, our organization being around for 10 years is to see people for the first time really started to shift the narrative on young people and realize that they have the power, they have the numbers that yes, the arc of history is long and it does bend towards justice, but that we have to bend it with the full weight and power of 70 million young eligible voters across the country.

[00:18:04] Cristina: Can determine a different direction. And so that’s the work that I feel is so powerful in moving is we need to not ever give up hope and ever believe that we are powerless because that’s how the other side wins.

[00:18:18] Zachary: How do you do that kind of work though? And, and, and make young people feel like their voice matters when, what are broader systemic challenges but manifest themselves in very small ways, hinder young people, uh, in that process.

[00:18:34] Zachary: For example, in Texas, in the first election I could vote in, which was the 2022 midterm election, I was not allowed to vote in the primary election. So, In reality had very little say and very little choice when it came to my vote. How do you handle smaller systemic challenges like that, such as the number of months, uh, after one turn, 17?

[00:18:56] Zachary: Uh, that one needs to be before voting in a primary, something that maybe we don’t pay attention to until it, it, it, it’s very tangible for us.

[00:19:04] Cristina: Yeah. I mean, well, I think there’s exciting things happening in other parts of the country, right? You and I are in Texas, so we are in the state that makes it the most difficult.

[00:19:13] Cristina: Uh, to vote or, and register to vote in the country, right? It’s according to the Brennan Center. And, you know, even our, we’ve seen bills propose this legislative session to, uh, end polling locations on college campuses, um, across the state of Texas, a proposed bill, this legislative session, and. You know, but there’s also really exciting things happening in places like Michigan where people have been organizing for years, where they’re now proposing, um, uh, not only do they have automatic voter registration, but uh, be allowing 16 year olds to vote in school board races.

[00:19:46] Cristina: Um, Allowing for pre-registration, so people to register, um, before they turn 18 so that they’re already registered. Um, there are these movements happening and of course the voting age was lowered to 18 in this country because young people organized to make it so power’s not gonna concede. Um, and the status quo isn’t gonna concede.

[00:20:08] Cristina: Um, to give away more power to young people. We have to demand it, organize for it, and history shows us that we can achieve. The other thing I would say is the data’s also very clear. For example, the way you talk to young people to turn them out, it’s okay to talk about the barriers, but the messaging that works the best is to talk about the power of young people coming together to determine a different future that we hold the power in numbers to decide ultimately what happens.

[00:20:37] Cristina: And for young people I know that are also cynical. I’m an, I’m an grandma millennial, so I do remember a time when it was on at least foreign policy, immigration, criminal justice and taxation, that there was little difference between many Republican and Democratic positions. That has dramatically shifted in large part to young people and young people turning out at the highest numbers in American history.

[00:21:01] Cristina: In 2020, I don’t think we would’ve seen the. Legislation pass that we saw. Without that historic high turnout, we would not see reform that we’ve seen on marijuana. We wouldn’t have seen student debt cancellation, which, you know, Republicans are now holding up. We wouldn’t have seen the Biden administration cancel student debt.

[00:21:18] Cristina: We wouldn’t have seen the first black woman be appointed to the Supreme Court. Um, and historic gun safety legislation. These are all wins because young people have voted, and to me, it’s not the end of what we’re fighting for, it’s just the beginning of what’s.

[00:21:34] Zachary: You, you talk a lot about, um, changing the status quo about, about institutional change, and obviously these are not the same things, but I do think that there’s also, and, and maybe there’s some friction there as well.

[00:21:47] Zachary: I do think particularly having lived through the pandemic, my generation in particular, those of us who. Came of age, went to high school, middle school, uh, during the Covid 19 pandemic have a an immense respect for expertise for institutions. Uh, even those institutions which we recognize are imperfect. Uh, do you think that there is also a space for a politics that appeals to young people?

[00:22:11] Zachary: Not in an anti-institutional way, but in a way that that promotes expertise? And policy making as well as change and and disruption of the status quo.

[00:22:22] Cristina: Yeah, I mean, if you look, if we look at the parts of advocacy org, advocacy organizations and the ecosystem fighting for democracy, good governance, the candidates that most speak to young people and elected officials, it’s the people that are saying that government can be a force for good in our lives.

[00:22:41] Cristina: You know, you look at poll. That recently just came out, um, talking about universal healthcare. We’re at a moment that. The highest level of support for universal healthcare, it’s even higher with young people. So that demonstrates that young people actually do see a role for institution, do see a role for government being a force for good in their lives, and believe that in fact, the public sector for many things in their lives can be the best delivery of service and providing for their basic needs.

[00:23:12] Cristina: And so while there. Cynicism, rightfully so. Um, in the current political system, there’s also a lot of room for people hoping and imagining a different way forward. And look, we don’t, I think we like to think of ourselves in this country, especially as if Texans as that often, you know, we hold. We hold the most creative and best ways of doing things, but other countries are doing things much better than we are, and we don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

[00:23:42] Cristina: We just have to be able to learn and apply to our own country. So whether we’re looking at universal healthcare or how to address housing crises or how to tackle the climate crisis or provide better protection and care for trans folks or, or, or for abortion. These are things that other countries have done and in many cases better than us.

[00:24:04] Cristina: And I think that you see a lot of interplay and exchange of ideas, um, from progressive movements, um, and per and progressive institutions around the globe right now.

[00:24:15] Jeremi: I, I think that’s really well said. And I’ve certainly seen as our student body at the university has become more diverse and also more international, just as you said, uh, uh, students who come from different societies and have parents who come from different societies, who bring ideas and perspectives and quite frankly, um, ways of improving policy in the US based on their experiences in other societies.

[00:24:39] Jeremi: They’re often very, very happy to be in the United States. Uh, often they’ve come to flee mistreatment in another place, but they also repre recognize that other places often approach issues like healthcare and criminal justice in ways that are different and useful, uh, relative to the way we in the United States approach them.

[00:24:54] Jeremi: So I think that’s really well said, Christina. What I have noticed though, is that there is, um, Some, I don’t wanna say division, but tension, uh, within, at least the body of my students when I talk to them, that’s, that still runs across race. And, and again, I don’t think it’s a division, but it does seem to me that, um, students of color, Young people of color are a little more committed to diversity, uh, equity, um, training, and a little more committed to affirmative action sometimes than students from white, rural backgrounds.

[00:25:28] Jeremi: Um, first of all, is that, is that accurate? Are you seeing some of those cleavages still and, and what, what, what should we expect?

[00:25:36] Cristina: Well, I think what’s interesting to you bring up. A college student. The big divide I see is actually amongst young people. And I think, you know, I spent 10 years organizing construction workers across Texas, and this is always what I remind NextGen and why I also love working for a national progressive organization is mm-hmm.

[00:25:55] Cristina: Because I say, you know, I live in Texas where there is no left acquired to preach to their only non-believers to convert. That the big divide is actually amongst young people. There is this, there is a, a racial divide. This is the most diverse generation in American history, but I also see a lot of young white people.

[00:26:11] Cristina: This was the first time that Democrats really won the white youth vote this past election. They, um, also won, uh, non-college educated young people. These are big shifts happening, and that’s because young people, because it is such a diverse generation, people have. Even if they’re not people of color or queer themselves, a lot of people have friends that are people of color or queer, and so they don’t understand oftentimes the backlash that they’re seeing from their state representatives like we see in, uh, or governor in Florida that are trying to prohibit access to basic knowledge and understanding of different communities.

[00:26:51] Cristina: Um, so there is still this divide, right? Of course. Uh, Young people of color, uh, queer, young people are expanding what’s available. And there is this backlash. Um, but I also see that actually young white people are moving to much greater acceptance. And if we look at the data also on the uprisings that happened across the country, During the Black Lives Matter movement, a huge number of young white people that also participated in those marches and was a real moment of awakening and consciousness for them as well.

[00:27:25] Cristina: So while one might be able to look at those numbers, I think there’s also a lot of trend lines showing that this is a generation regardless of their own racial or ethnic background. That are demanding and wanting to see more diverse voices, and being much more accepting of understanding that there are historical legacies that dictate how people are treated and what people’s um, opportunities and access are today.

[00:27:51] Cristina: And at

[00:27:51] Zachary: the very least, it seems also that with the internet, even young people who, who, who, who have grown up in areas that aren’t as diverse, um, as, uh, urban Texas where I grew up, or other parts of the country, right? They ha. Will have access to other viewpoints, um, and other people who are, who are very different from them, but live lives that they can relate to in a way that, that previous generations have not.

[00:28:17] Zachary: Uh, what role do you think the internet, but of, of course, more specifically social media, uh, will play in educating and engaging this next generation of voters?

[00:28:27] Cristina: Oh, I mean, I think it we’re in a really interesting moment also too, where, you know, I think the last data out was that 40% of Gen Z users of Gen Z folks use TikTok, for example, as their main, um, search engine instead of like Google.

[00:28:41] Cristina: So there’s, and most young people, for example, especially when we talk about politics, will never see a TV advertisement, but they’re gonna. Uh, and use social media and use influencers. It’s a huge way we organize online at NextGen is, you know, the last few elections, we’ve run the country’s largest influencer programs to reach young people.

[00:29:02] Cristina: Um, and we’ve never paid and we’ll never pay for a dollar for TV advertisement to use young people. And now the people that organize those campaigns are working at the White House because the White House recognize if they’re going to engage and educate young people. They also have to be on social media platforms.

[00:29:18] Cristina: Um, and I will say, That social media platforms are, uh, you know, they’re, they’re, they’re, they can cause as much good as bad, um, um, in spreading misinformation and disinformation. But while we know that young people are using those platforms to spread ideas, Rapidly or also gain access about when, where, and how to vote that we need to be on those platforms to make sure that we’re reaching them.

[00:29:43] Cristina: Um, and so they’re a really important tool. And what we tell all the young people we work with is everyone is an influencer on social media. And one of my favorite things, I’ll just encourage people that are listening to this, that I’ve seen young people do, is just creating your own voter guide and sharing with your friends and family on your social media who you’re voting for.

[00:30:01] Cristina: I know I’m, I’m gonna assume Zachary for you. For certain friends and family, you are their go-to person that tells them what’s on the ballot, who you voted for and why. I know I’m that person. And so many people can be that person and they just need to share it out, and it has a real impact. So that

[00:30:18] Jeremi: b beautifully, uh, transitions to w what is always our, our final question.

[00:30:23] Jeremi: Uh, each week, uh, we are interested in understanding history and the development of our democracy, and we’re interested in putting that history and that understanding to use. So for our many listeners, uh, And not so young who care about, um, these issues and care about young people being more involved in our democracy because we know that’s important regardless of our political points of view.

[00:30:45] Jeremi: What are the things we can do to make our democracy more open and more participatory for young people? What can all of us do today?

[00:30:53] Cristina: Well, one, I encourage everyone to volunteer with NextGen America. Um, and they can do, of course, gen.org/volunteer. We have an army of 28,000 volunteers and they organize anywhere and everywhere.

[00:31:05] Cristina: Um, whether they’re out in the field with us or we also have, we organize on dating apps because you can search by geography. Uh, issues that people care about, gender, age, and so we use dating apps also to organize. Um, uh, but people can volunteer with us. But one volunteer to share your own perspective and viewpoint, like I said, on social media and with friends and family.

[00:31:27] Cristina: And the other thing is, every single election people don’t realize that the most influential people to turn out other people are the people closest to you. So just even being able to. Five to 10 friends and family and saying, Hey, I’m voting this election. Here’s why I’m voting. And if you wanna share who you’re voting for and ask them to vote, that actually has a really big impact.

[00:31:49] Cristina: More so than me calling up strangers or contacting strangers. You know, the project of democracy really, really is a radical proposition, even with all of its imperfections that we. Um, today, um, but it has and will get better, only strengthened by our participation and that there wouldn’t be all these assaults, especially on young people’s power to vote if it weren’t so damn powerful.

[00:32:17] Cristina: And that’s why we have to make sure that every single person we can that’s young, is turning out because ultimately young people inherit the greatest benefits of action of good government and the greatest consequences of inaction on the issues, um, that are most important to. That’s

[00:32:33] Jeremi: such a good point. I mean, if, if young people didn’t have the power to change things, if they really were irrelevant, then those in power would ignore them.

[00:32:41] Jeremi: But they, they’re not ignoring young people. They’re doing things sometimes to make it harder for them to participate. So that shows the potential power, I think, of what young people can do. Um, Zachary does, does this discussion help you and so many of your friends and colleagues who are trying every day in frustrating but still hopeful ways to make a.

[00:33:00] Jeremi: I think it

[00:33:01] Zachary: does. I think it’s, it’s very, Empowering to recognize that as a young person, one’s vote matters. I think the, the, the problem is, uh, that it is difficult to instill, um, the importance of civic engagement when young people aren’t. Civically educated. And I think that there’s a real space in this conversation, and I’m sure there are many people who are speaking much more eloquently about it than I am, but, uh, a real space to talk about the importance of, of civic’s education and educating young people about how our system works because it’s very hard to make decisions about our system or participate in our system, uh, if we don’t have the opportunity to learn about it and, and understand

[00:33:43] Jeremi: how it works.

[00:33:44] Jeremi: Right. So final question for you, Christina. Is that something NextGen is.

[00:33:48] Cristina: Uh, yeah, it’s, it’s one of the things we do, you know, we, we see ourselves also as one of the largest educators of just explaining to young people not only the power they have, but how do they register, how do they vote, um, and making that as accessible as possible.

[00:34:03] Cristina: Um, because there has been so much gutting to civics education across the country, um, which we are fighting to reverse. But right now I feel like we have a really important role of just getting out that basic information to.

[00:34:16] Jeremi: This has been so educational, certainly for me, and I know for Zachary and for so many of our listeners, I want to encourage all of our listeners to go, as Christina suggested, to NextGen america.org.

[00:34:28] Jeremi: Uh, they have a, a really cool website. I spent some time playing around on it earlier today, and there’s a lot of really cool information that’s educational and inspiring. And, uh, Christina, I want to thank you for, for joining us today and really, uh, sharing your insights on all of these. Thanks so

[00:34:46] Cristina: much,

[00:34:47] Jeremi: Zachary.

[00:34:48] Jeremi: Thank you for your, uh, inspiring poem as always. And thank you, most of all to our loyal listeners for joining us, uh, for this episode of This is Democracy.

[00:35:01] Outro: This podcast is produced by the Liberal Arts Its Development Studio and the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. The music in this episode was written and recorded by Hero Kini. Stay tuned for a new episode every week. You can find this is Democracy on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. See you next time.