New Voters August: Summer Wrap Up ☀️
Gen-Z Voter Registration Efforts
A newsletter giving you handcrafted monthly updates about our voter registration efforts in our goal to register one million youth voters.
🏛 Exploring Different Political Ideologies: A Guide for New Voters
by Taylor Del Real
“No matter where you stand politically - even if you're unsure of what your political ideology is - it is important to take part in the process of shaping our government.” - Brad Henry, former Governor of Oklahoma
In the realm of modern democratic societies, political ideologies serve as guiding principles that shape the way individuals perceive and engage with government, society, and the distribution of power. These ideologies encompass a wide range of beliefs, values, and policy preferences, and understanding them is crucial for any citizen, especially new voters. This guide aims to provide a simplified objective overview of various political ideologies and parties, helping new voters comprehend the spectrum of options available to them. Political ideologies are comprehensive ideas, beliefs, and values that prescribe how societies should be organized, governed, and function. These ideologies address fundamental questions about the role of government, individual rights, economic systems, social equity, and international relations. A thorough understanding of political ideologies empowers voters to make informed choices during elections, as they can align their votes with candidates that resonate with their personal values.
📌 Key Principles
Listed here are the main ideas commonly associated with each party. To find out more, click on the party name for a helpful resource!
Democratic Party
Social justice
Economic equality
Civil rights
Environmental protection
Universal healthcare
Labor rights
Strong government intervention
Republican Party
Limited government intervention
Individual liberty
Free-market capitalism
Lower taxes
Strong national defense
Traditional values
Deregulation
Green Party
Economic equality
Social equality
Environmental protection
Feminism
Labor rights
Progressive policies
Localized and decentralized government
Libertarian Party
Economic equality
Social equality
Environmental protection
Feminism
Labor rights
Progressive policies
Localized and decentralized government
Personal Freedom
Independence from strict party lines
As new voters begin their journey of civic participation, understanding the diverse range of political ideologies and parties empowers them to make well-informed decisions, engage in meaningful dialogue, and contribute to a democratic society. By embracing the richness of political thought and recognizing the spectrum of options available, new voters play a vital role in shaping the future of their country.
🌟 Check Out All Of Our Op-Eds from August!
A Review of Jeff Goodell’s The Water Will Come by Mary Ghawly
The Controversial End to Affirmative Action: "Equal Opportunity” or a Step Backward? by Yasmine Ganemtore
Recent Restrictive Voting Laws by Dominique Dillard
The Interplay of Sports Governance, Corruption, and Youth Voting: A Crucial Civic Issue by Nathan Han
Howdy From Austin by Harjot Sangha
Ohio Special Election as a Precinct Election Official by Emma Feldmeier
From Apathy to Advocacy: A Personal Journey into Political Engagement by Chaewon Lee
The Fight for Abortion Rights Continues, Even After Dobbs by Kayla Ruano-Lumpris
Youth Voting Awareness by Samaira Bhat
The Future is Female by Catherine Chan
🌟 New Voters Updates
The Technology Department has been hard at work conducting interviews with young civic leaders and high school teachers to better understand their needs related to civics information. This work is part of a broader partnership with YVote to develop a youth civics hub containing important information about elections, government, and elected officials in New York City. New Voters is providing the engineering resources to build and deploy this solution for the 2024 election cycle. 🧑💻
The Policy Department has been editing bill language on our legislation HB2699 and expects to have changes implemented officially soon. They are also beginning to plan a press conference regarding the bill. The team also met with more Senators to discuss our Youth Council initiative. Additionally, they are researching pre-voter registration legislation within the state of Arizona and brainstorming how to promote this in the near future. 🧑⚖️
The Communications Department has been coordinating with the Policy Department to plan an a HB2699 press conference in Harrisburg in October. They are also planning National Voter Registration Day (9/19/23) campaigns with the Operations and Development Departments. The interns have been hard at work communicating with press outlets for potential New Voters story features. Last but not least, the new social media content has reached 15k+ accounts across socials! 📱
The Development Department launched the summer fundraiser with a goal of $5,000! They have also been writing and revising the first 5 grant applications. They are reaching the final draft versions of the grant, and were able to send in the first grant application! Lastly, they have started their first wave of outreach to HNIs! 💰
🤝 Get Involved!
Applications for our fall internship are live! Join a diverse group of individuals and collaborate to get to our goal of 100% voter registration amongst high school students. Our Fall Internship Program will run from September 10 to December 3. Applicants also have the opportunity to apply for the full fall-spring cycle, running from September 10 to May 12. Applications are due by September 1 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Apply here! 💻
Donate to the New Voters fundraiser! All of the funds will be used to support 2023-24 comprehensive voter registration efforts! Donate here. 💸
National Voter Registration Day is on Tuesday, September 19th! Visit National Voter Registration Day to register to vote, check your registration, and learn more about voting! 🗳
Sincerely,
Jahnavi, Nivea, and the New Voters Team