Mar 2 2016
Hack the vote: There’s an app for that @KPCCInPerson #HackTheVote

Politics are more social than ever. From political memes and ads on Facebook to new apps that pair users with candidates and issues.  From the local to the national level candidates are taking note,  pouring money and resources into staying socially relevant. Yet fewer young people are choosing to vote.  While young voters helped drive Barack Obama’s presidential election in 2008, those enthusiastic millennials  are now older and steadily declining in numbers at the polls. A recent Harvard study found that less than half of the 18- to 29-year-olds surveyed said they were following the 2016 campaign. And in 2014, just 8 percent of eligible 18- to 24-year-olds cast ballots in California’s general election.

Video from the event here:

Do millennials not care about the election process? Or is it something else? Research shows that millennials evaluate political candidates differently than earlier generations. Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram are all platforms that millennials and younger generations grew up with and use to stay informed, share and organize around issues and interests. There’s no question that technology and social media are important tools for candidates if they want to reach younger audiences.

What’s the best way to get more young people civically engaged? What innovations are out there right now to help bring young people in? Is our current voting process outdated? How would you hack the vote?  We’ll explore these questions and more with KPCC’s Senior Politics Reporter Mary Plummer and her guests over pizza at startup hub Cross Campus in Pasadena. Be here for this discussion and meet some of the creators behind this new technology.

Moderator

Mary Plummer, KPCC’s Senior Politics Reporter (@MaryPlummer, @KPCC)

Guests

Tanzila Ahmed, Campaign Strategist at 18MillionRising.org (@TazzyStar, @18millionrising)

Nate Kaplan, founder of SeePolitical (@SeePolitical)

Oscar Menjivar, Founder TXT: Teens Exploring Technology (@menjivar, @URBANTxT)

Sumi Parekh,   Director of Government Relations & Outreach, Ballot (@getballot)

Hunter Scarborough, Voter co-founder (@HuntaJames, @Voter)

Juan Vasquez,  a Communications and Data Analyst working with the Mayor’s Operations Innovation Team (@JuanSVas, @LAMayorsOffice)

@KPCCInPerson
#HackTheVote

6:30 – doors open, pizza served
7:00 – program begins

Share

Written by

View all posts by:

Categories: Uncategorized