WASHINGTON, DC, November 3, 2008 (ENS) - In the countdown to election day, the national, non-partisan youth campaign Power Vote has been active across the country to make sure young people turn out in record numbers to vote for clean energy, climate protection and green job creation.
For the last few days, Power Voters have been organizing green concerts, festivals, and rallies, dorm storms, bike blitzes, phone banking, as well as traditional door knocking and canvassing to ensure that the youth vote is huge this year.
In St. Louis, Missouri, students held a "Metrolink Prom" on Saturday to help raise awareness about a local public transportation proposition.
On Friday in Virginia, students held a statewide "Hallow-Green" Day of Action to show youth voter support for clean energy. Hundreds of campuses also participated in Trick or Vote activities in "climate costumes."
"Young people understand that their future is at stake in this election," said Jessy Tolkan, director of Energy Action Coalition's Power Vote campaign. "Our generation is not only committed to voting on November 4 but is also actively engaged in the democratic process."
The non-partisan effort to get out the vote is spearheaded by the Energy Action Coalition and the "We" Campaign, a project of the Alliance for Climate Protection.
Working in more than 300 campuses and communities Power Voters have gotten at least 310,288 young people to commit to voting for clean energy and green jobs and have had a presence at every presidential and vice presidential debate, as well as at hundreds of campaign and candidate events around the country.
On October 29, Power Vote organized a webcast with former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore, creator of the Academy Award-winning documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" about the dangers of global warming.
More than 15,000 viewers on 154 campuses nationwide tuned in to hear Gore promote his "Repower America" plan, which sets the goal of 100 percent renewable and truly clean electricity within 10 years.
"To Repower America with 100 percent carbon-free electricity within 10 years," Gore said on the webcast, "we're going to need the enthusiasm and dedication of millions of motivated students and young adults. I applaud the Energy Action Coalition for their valuable work encouraging students to vote on Election Day."
"We have had enough of dirty energy politics and are doing everything we can to make sure this election is the beginning of a clean energy future for America," Tolkan said.
Today, there were youth vote rallies in Ohio and Virginia.
Massive synchronized dorm storms are planned throughout the night in nearly every state.
On election day students in New Hampshire and Florida will be marching to the polls together.
In other states, students are planning Critical Mass bike rides to the polls.
And in North Carolina, free biodiesel bus rides are being arranged to get voters to the polls. In anticipation of long lines, students in many states are doing street theater performances and are throwing Polling Parties to keep people entertained as they wait to vote.
Throughout the weekend, Power Voters talked to hundreds of thousands of their classmates and peers in-person, on the phone, and through Facebook to make sure they had all the information they needed to vote.
And Tuesday night, as the results roll in, Power Vote green election watching parties will be happening across the country.
{Photo: Jessy Tolkan, director of the Power Vote campaign, with former Vice President Al Gore at the webcast October 29, 2008 courtesy Power Vote}
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2008. All rights reserved.
