2014 Youth Vote And NEMRA

In an August 13^th blog posting, How to get the Millennial Generation to the Polls and in The Millennial Generation, The Future, and NEMRA posted October 19^th, I cover how the Nevada Election Modernization and Reform Act (NEMRA) will encourage the generation that is our future to increase their participation in the electoral process. These articles highlight the fact that voters in the 18 to 34 year old range vote in lower numbers than the overall average.

The Millennial Generation is also disillusioned to a greater extent than the overall voting population with the two major political parties. This almost ten percent difference is clearly shown in Voters Registered as Non-Partisan Jump Ten Percent Since Last Election.

Now, CIRCLE, The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, out of Tufts University further shows how the Millennial Generation is an enigma to both the Republican and Democratic Parties. This does not need to be the case. Rather than ignoring the largest generation since the Baby Boomers, both major parties should accept the challenge of bringing them into the process, encouraging them to become involved, and perhaps register as a member rather than as independent.  In Nevada, NEMRA is the catalyst and tool to accomplish this.

In its report, Eight Takeaways About Young Voters and the 2014 Election, CIRCLE lists the top two as “Youth propensity for being independent poses a conundrum for political parties and democracy” and “Missing Mobilization”. Millennials are registering as independents in greater numbers. Since party registration is often stressed over issues in today’s campaigns, political parties are not tapping into this large pool of voters. And since they are not affiliated with a political party, Millennials are overlooked in mobilization and get out the vote efforts.

Political parties and elected officials can maintain the status quo and continue to ignore the upcoming future generation of voters and office holders or they can take the proverbial bull by the horns, embrace the differences between old and new, and thereby create a more meaningful and responsive government.

The Nevada Election Modernization and Reform Act (NEMRA) is the means to accomplish the goal.