Historic Texas outreach effort is part of NextGen’s nationwide campaign to mobilize voters age 18-35 to the polls in 2022
Austin, TX — As Texans head to the polls today to vote in their primary election, NextGen America is celebrating contacting more than 2 million young Texas voters through texts, calls and in-person contacts throughout the month of February. NextGen’s month of intensive statewide outreach represents one of the largest youth-focused voter mobilization campaigns in Texas primary history.
NextGen Texas organizers and volunteers textbanked, phonebanked and hosted voter-registration booths on college campuses all across the state, including at the University of Texas at Austin, Texas Tech University, Texas State University, Texas Southern University and Tarrant County Community College. Voter outreach stretched into communities as well, with events held at local coffee shops, libraries, bars and restaurants. In all, NextGen contacted voters in all 254 Texas counties and 2,273 different zip codes.
“For decades, the voice and voting power of young people in Texas — especially young people of color — has been discounted and diminished. With our primary election outreach and much more voter contact to come, NextGen is changing that,” NextGen America President Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez said. “Texas is the third-youngest state in the country, and when young people are empowered, we can change the future to reflect our values and priorities.”
“By connecting with millions of young voters, NextGen is laying the groundwork for youth participation in 2022, and all future Texas elections,” Tzintzún Ramirez said.
Texas is one of eight states in NextGen’s national program, which is engaging young voters and providing them with information about voting in the 2022 midterms. By March 1, the NextGen Texas Team will have hosted nearly 50 events across the state from the start of early voting on February 14, including 11 events in 10 cities on Election Day. These include voter registration events, marches to the polls, student organizing meetings and more.
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About NextGen America
NextGen America is the leading national organization for engaging young people through voter education, registration and mobilization. We invite 18-to-35 year olds — the largest and most diverse generation in American history — into our democracy to ensure our government works for them and to find new solutions to the dire challenges facing our society and the world. Since 2013, NextGen America has registered more than 1.4 million young voters and educated many millions more, delivering more than the margin of victory for progressives in key races and building an electorate that will lead American politics for decades to come.