In each federal election year, FVAP sponsors the development and distribution of a public service announcement campaign to encourage voter registration and turnout. These multimedia materials are disseminated by the Armed Forces Information Service and commercial broadcast and cable TV, radio, print media, outdoor advertising and the worldwide web.
The television, radio and outdoor PSAs for Register and Vote 2004 illustrate that voting is a simple thing to do, yet very powerful. The ads feature real-life scenarios and actions, which highlight the potential for one person’s action to make a difference. Each ad ends with the tag line "Don’t just take a stand, act." The ads conclude by directing viewers to www.registerandvote2004.org for more information on how to register to vote in their state..
The primary objective of the campaign is to motivate citizen participation in the 2004 primary elections as well as in the general election on November 2, 2004. It has also
been designed to appeal particularly to younger citizens, the group with the lowest rate of voting participation in the country. Register and Vote 2004 hopes to show 18-24 year-olds that voting is a simple, yet powerful thing to do. The non-partisan and non-issue based campaign will remind young voters that they are more politically engaged and informed than they realize. Political engagement today is as easy as checking your favorite political blog regularly or talking to friends about an issue that is important to you. Young people must understand that by doing these things, they are politically engaged enough to vote.
The Web site, www.registerandvote2004.org features a unique perspective on voting with a blog written by Caitlin Davis, a 19 year-old college student in Washington, D.C. She will post regular entries to the blog communicating with her peers, the target audience.
The Web site also provides fun, interactive features such as "Spin the Speech", a game which allows visitors to fill in the blanks of a mock campaign speech or presidential debate, much like the word game MadLibs®. The "I’m a Voter" feature highlights real young voters from the 18-24 year-old audience who visit the Web site and includes interesting details about them and why voting is a part of their lives. The site also features the TV and radio PSAs, which can be viewed and listened to from your personal computer.
We encourage Voting Assistance Officers to utilize the Get Out the Vote campaign and PSAs. They can be an excellent resource when planning voter registration drives and other voter outreach efforts to help encourage participation. We are very excited about the this year’s Get Out the Vote Ad Campaign and especially the www.registerandvote2004.org Website.
