From ice cream giveaways to “Meetups” at coffee shops, political activists are pulling out all the stops this presidential election year to ensure that young people get out to vote.
Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream and “Rock the Vote” have teamed up to introduce “Primary Berry Graham.” This rich, decadent treat is not just strawberry cheesecake ice cream swirled with a thick graham cracker crust — it also serves as an important reminder to go to the polls in the Democratic primary and in the general election next fall.
Rock the Vote is a non-partisan, non-profit organization encouraging youth to get involved in the political process and take advantage of their right to vote. By partnering with Ben and Jerry’s, a corporation that says it believes business also is a vehicle for community service, Rock the Vote hopes to keep young people thinking and talking about politics.
In addition, part of the ice cream proceeds will go to Rock the Vote.
The ice cream made its debut last month at the New Hampshire Democratic primary, where voters took an “oath to vote” for a free scoop of the frozen confection.
Courtney Rawls, a sophomore in mass communication who heard about Primary Berry Graham on the TV Food Network, said she thinks the ice cream is targeted at youth to get them ready to vote.
“I don’t know if it will actually increase voting, but I think it’s a cool idea,” Rawls said.
Political science senior Brandon Stevens said he heard about the ice cream promotion somewhere on the Internet, but was unsure whether the ice cream would actually help get young people to vote.
“If Rock the Vote can continue to talk about it and make it a big deal, that will keep [voting] in the minds of young people,” Stevens said.
Stevens, who is also president of Youth Elect, a campus organization that encourages 18-25 year-olds to get involved politically or civically, said he thought that this election will bring more young people to the polls that were not involved before.
“I think with the war and everything that’s going on now, politics is becoming a lot more personal to the Generation ‘Y’ and ‘X’ age group,” Stevens said. “I’ve heard a lot more people talking about things.”
A Harvard Institute of Politics survey conducted last year agreed with Steven. After polling 1,201 undergraduates, it found that 59 percent said they intend on voting this year, perhaps making the college-age voters the key to winning the general election.
Christopher Boudreaux, history senior and University College Republican Alliance president said he has not seen an increased effort compared to years before.
“I know that Rock the Vote works every election year to get out voters,” Boudreaux said. “It’s a noble effort to try to educate our age group, but the bottom line is the decision still relies on us, whether we decide to vote or not.”
To further promote voter registration, MTV and Rock the Vote have utilized the “Meetup” system to unite young people interested in becoming active in their community. By connecting with other interested participants via the Internet, then meeting at a location within the city, activists can discuss ideas, issues and candidates in the 2004 election.
In Baton Rouge, 11 people have signed up for the National MTV and Rock the Vote Meetup Day on March 2. For further information on how to get involved in Rock the Vote, students can refer to www.rockthevote.com.