WASHINGTON, D.C. — In an attempt move to mobilize young voters, NextGen America has unveiled a new voter registration initiative designed to tap into the vast potential of the gaming community. The organization introduced VOTE-E, a Discord chat bot that aims to simplify the voter registration process for users, remind them of important election dates, and guide them to their local polling places.
This novel approach reflects a strategic pivot to meet young voters in the digital realms where they spend a significant portion of their time. Discord, a social platform that has seen explosive growth, especially among individuals aged 18 to 34, serves as the perfect venue for this initiative. Recognizing the platform’s reach and influence, NextGen America is leveraging VOTE-E to facilitate one-on-one conversations with users, providing them with tailored voting information drawn from official state resources.
Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, President of NextGen America, emphasized the importance of engaging young voters in spaces familiar to them. “Galvanizing the next generation of voters means connecting with them where they’re at, and for so many, that’s in online communities,” she stated. VOTE-E represents a forward-thinking solution to the challenges of organizing the youth vote, offering an accessible and trusted resource for election-related information.
The initiative comes at a time when traditional methods of voter outreach struggle to resonate with younger demographics. Grant Wiles, NextGen America’s Vice President of Data, Research, and Polling, highlighted the necessity of modernizing these efforts. “We want to move from asking voters to ‘Pokémon Go to the polls’ to bringing a civic engagement resource to where young people are already spending their time– Discord,” Wiles said, signaling a broader strategy to deepen engagement with the gaming community.
Discord’s role as a central hub for gamers and various interest groups makes it an ideal platform for this type of civic engagement tool. By integrating VOTE-E into Discord servers, streamers and community leaders can play a direct role in encouraging voter participation among their audiences.
This innovative program complements NextGen’s existing on-the-ground mobilization efforts across key states, including Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. As the organization continues to expand its outreach to young voters, initiatives like the Discord chat bot VOTE-E are poised to play a crucial role in shaping the future of electoral engagement, making the act of voting more accessible and relevant to the lives of young Americans.
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