NextGen America Reaches Hundreds of Thousands of Young Voters Ahead of Elections in Virginia, Pennsylvania

The country’s largest young-voter organization emphasizes importance of local and off-year elections to mobilizing 18-35 year olds

Austin, TX — Leading up to the Nov. 2 election, NextGen America organizers and volunteers are mobilizing young voters in key states and localities across the country, including for marquee contests in Virginia and important but under-the-radar elections in Pennsylvania.

In Virginia, NextGen is texting and emailing more than 350,000 young people with get-out-the-vote messages ensuring they know when, how and exactly what they need to cast a ballot and make their voices heard. Such mobilization is essential in Virginia, where races for governor, other statewide offices and the House of Delegates are held in odd years, out of step with the typical electoral calendar.

In Pennsylvania, NextGen’s effort includes texting and calling approximately 300,000 18-to-35-year-olds with personalized information on when and how to vote. With a statewide contest for a seat on the Supreme Court and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s race on the ballot, NextGen’s GOTV efforts have been focused on ensuring young people have a voice in building a state that represents them.

“Young people in Virginia and Pennsylvania turned out in record numbers in the last election to flex their power, and we’re seeing that their motivation to participate in our democracy is just beginning,” NextGen America President Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez said. “There are no off years for young voters when it comes to choosing who will make decisions about their futures. We’re working not just to mobilize young people for these races, but also make voting a lifelong habit.”

Along with its efforts in Virginia and Pennsylvania, NextGen is also reaching young people in Michigan and North Carolina ahead of important local elections. That outreach includes calls, texts and online voter guides providing nonpartisan information on how to get registered and cast a ballot in important but often-overlooked community-level elections.

NextGen’s 2021 GOTV efforts come as it recently renewed its commitment to running the largest mobilization of young voters in the country. Earlier this month, NextGen launched its program for the 2022 election cycle and beyond by announcing its plans to register and mobilize thousands of young voters in Texas, Arizona, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada.

During the 2020 election cycle, NextGen Pennsylvania made over 1.8 million calls, sent more than 5.2 million texts, registered 23,500 voters, and pledged over 68,000 young people to vote.

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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.