NextGen America Announces Youth Vote GOTV Effort Ahead of California Primary

Massive digital, mail, and grassroots organizing campaign aims to turnout young voters

San Francisco, CA — Today, NextGen America announced new efforts to turnout young voters for the California Primary Election on June 5th. NextGen is running a $350,000 campaign to encourage more than 200,000 young voters to turn out and vote in the Congressional primary elections in CA-10, CA-39, CA-48, and CA-49 to ensure a strong Democratic option on the general election ballot in races across the state in November. The massive GOTV effort includes direct mail, digital ads, and grassroots organizing.

“Californians have been overwhelmingly opposed to the Trump Administration and its destructive agenda from day one, and we need Democrats who will stand up to its attacks on our rights on the ballot in every race in the state,” said NextGen America President Tom Steyer. “Voters in California are fired up like never before, and they have the opportunity to lead progressives across the country with their energy and activism this year. Taking back our government starts in primary elections, and by turning out in droves to the polls, California Democrats will send Trump and the GOP a strong message this June.”

Over 20 NextGen organizers will help get out the vote in these four districts where Democrats risk getting shut out of the general election. ​In addition to direct mail and digital ads, N​extGen staff and volunteers are organizing on college campuses that are still in session, sending hundreds of thousands of text messages to young voters, and knocking on over 15,000 doors by June 5th. NextGen will also use creative field tactics in youth-dense areas to increase the energy and interest in the primary among young voters.

NextGen’s work with young voters in California is part of NextGen Rising — the largest youth organizing program in American history to register, engage, and mobilize young voters, on and off campuses, across eleven states ahead of November 6th, 2018. In California, NextGen is committing at least $3.5 million to register, engage and turnout young voters across the state, with a focus on flipping Congressional districts 10, 21, 25, 39, 45, 48, and 49 and taking back the House.

Separate from NextGen Rising, Uniting California — an effort by NextGen America, the California Labor Federation, and local partner organizations to engage half a million voters in seven key Congressional districts — is knocking on over 75,000 doors and making over 75,000 calls to encourage Californians to vote in the primary. Earlier this month, the effort announced that it has knocked on over 165,000 doors and had 100,000 conversations on top voting issues with Californians across the seven districts.