ROCK THE VOTE APPLAUDS PRESIDENT’S FOCUS ON MILLENNIAL ISSUES AND CALL TO RESTORE VOTING RIGHTS ACT

Rock the Vote, the largest non-profit and non-partisan organization in the United States building the political power of young people, applauds the President for addressing issues that matter most to Millennials during his sixth State of the Union on Tuesday.

“Defined by our optimism; commitment to equality and justice; and entrepreneurial spirit, Millennials are looking for practical solutions to issues we care about — from job creation to student debt to the environment. The President presented an ambitious agenda to Congress last night and called for practical solutions to be prioritized over partisan bickering,” says Ashley Spillane, President of Rock the Vote. “The President said, ‘A better politics is one where we appeal to each other’s basic decency instead of our basest fears.’ This is exactly what Millennials want to see.”

We applaud Senator Joni Ernst for echoing the call for debate and cooperation during the Republican response: “Even if we may not always agree, it’s important to hear different points of view in this great country.”

With 12,000 Americans turning 18 every day, it’s more important than ever for young people to feel empowered to set the course for our country by making their voices heard at the ballot box. We also applaud the President calling for our leaders to work together to restore the Voting Rights Act: “Surely we can agree that the right to vote is sacred; that it’s being denied to too many; and that, on this 50th anniversary of the great march from Selma to Montgomery and the passage of the Voting Rights Act, we can come together, Democrats and Republicans, to make voting easier for every single American.”

“The Voting Rights Act is the most powerful piece of civil rights legislation in our country’s history and it is critical that our leaders work together to restore it and protect the rights of young people and minorities to vote. The exclusion of eligible citizens in the American electoral system is one of the most serious and dangerous problems facing our democracy,” says Spillane.

ABOUT ROCK THE VOTE

Rock the Vote is the largest non-profit and non-partisan organization in the United States building the political power of young people. Fusing pop culture, politics, and technology, Rock the Vote works to mobilize the millennial voting bloc and the youth vote, protect voting rights, and advocate for an electoral process and voting system that works for the 21st century electorate. Since 1990, Rock the Vote has revolutionized the use of pop culture, music, art and technology to inspire political activity. Now, for almost 25 years, Rock the Vote has pioneered ways to make voting easier by simplifying and demystifying voter registration and elections for young adults.

Rock the Vote has run the largest voter registration drives for young people on record during the past six Presidential elections. In 2008 and 2012, our on-the-ground efforts, online organizing, and cutting-edge tools and technologies made us the largest non-partisan voter engagement campaign in the nation. All of these efforts have resulted in Rock the Vote processing nearly seven million voter registrations, bringing millions more to the polls, and becoming a trusted resource for young people, government agencies, and technological innovators passionate about political discourse and engagement. See more information here.