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Musicians, spanning the musical spectrum, are choosing
to lend their help by shining a spotlight on our right
to vote. In the past year, musicians or coalitions of
music industry participants have started several associations,
whose main goal is to register people to vote in the
upcoming presidential election.
PunkVoter is a coalition of bands, record companies,
and individuals committed to bringing about change through
utilizing our voting responsibilities. One of its goals,
outlined on its Web site, is to "educate, register
and mobilize over 500,000 of today’s youth as
one voice."
Vehemently anti-Bush, PunkVoter is not shy in expressing
that part of its objective is to expose the "chaotic
policies" of Bush and his current administration.
In fact, an activist tool its uses are concerts titled
"Rock Against Bush." PunkVoter quotes a statistic
that only 38 percent of the people in the 18-29 age
demographic voted in the 2000 presidential election.
Due to this statistic, PunkVoter chose to target young
people in its voter registration mission.
PunkVoter’s membership roster is impressive.
Listed in the membership are big name bands like Green
Day, The Foo Fighters and Good Charlotte. This year’s
headlining band for the Warped Tour, New Found Glory,
is also a member. Krist Novoselic, formerly of Nirvana,
is listed as an individual member. Novoselic’s
Web site, Murky Slough, features an mp3 from the Rock
Against Bush show that was put on in Portland, Ore.,
in March.
According to the Music for America’s Web site,
it is "a political nonprofit working to empower
young people by exposing the connection between their
cultural lives and the political process." Organizers
of Music for America became acquainted through political
meet-ups. After the 2000 election and Bush’s push
for war in Iraq, those who became involved with Music
for America say they came to realize three things: the
impotence of protest today; young voters are overlooked
in politics; and that culture and politics are bonded.
Motivated by these three ideas, Music for America has
become committed to inspiring 1 million voters to vote
during the 2004 election. Using concerts and cultural
events as its voice, Music for America members hope
to "inspire participation in the political process
among our peers." The Music for America Web site
has a do-it-yourself kit for putting on local shows.
Driving Votes is an organization created by Richard
Davidson, bassist for the Seattle band Radio Nationals.
Launched just one month ago, Driving Votes already boasts
chapters in Seattle, San Francisco, Boston, New York
City and Kansas. The momentum behind Driving Votes is
encouragement to take road trips to swing states over
the summer and register voters.
State-specific voter registration packets are available
to download on Driving Votes. According to Davidson,
within the next few weeks, Driving Votes will have chapters
in each swing state.
Educational information and links are sprinkled throughout
the Web site, including information on the Electoral
College and what exactly a swing state is. Each page
on the site has a "Quick Bush Fact," which
emphasizes problems with the current administration.
When asked about what methods he is using to promote
Driving Votes, Davidson said, "It’s all been
word of mouth. Driving Votes is an honest-to-goodness
grassroots effort." Davidson also said that Driving
Votes has been promoted at Radio Nationals shows. Beginning
on May 15, Radio Nationals has a Driving Votes voter
registration table at each show. "People have been
very enthusiastic to the message and we’ve signed
up volunteers right at shows."
HeadCount, an organization that is targeting fans of
"live, improvisational music,” states on
its Web site that it is strictly nonpartisan. According
to Jonathan L. Gelbard, HeadCount Outreach Director,
the HeadCount message is simple. "Our message is
simply, ‘Let our voice be heard!’ We are
not telling anybody how to vote, but merely are encouraging
music fans to participate in the political process."
HeadCount’s goal is to register 100,000 voters
before the 2004 election through different activities,
including tables at concerts this summer.
Another strategy HeadCount is planning to use is to
e-mail those who have registered to vote through HeadCount.
Every voter who registers is asked to sign up for the
HeadCount e-mail list. The e-mail will serve two purposes:
first, to follow up on the registration and remind the
person to vote; second, the e-mail will contain audio
and video public announcements featuring prominent bands
that HeadCount will be touring with. Those who receive
the e-mail will be encouraged to forward it to others,
an effort to inspire recipients to also register to
vote.
HeadCount is co-chaired by Andy Bernstein and Marc
Brownstein. Bernstein is the founder of the Pharmar’s
Almanac, a Phish fan guide. Brownstein is the bassist
for The Disco Biscuits. Bob Weir, guitarist for the
Grateful Dead, also sits on the HeadCount board.
HeadCount will be at the Bonnaroo Festival in June.
In July, it will be at both the High Sierra and Lollapalooza
festivals. It also will tour during the summer with
bands like the Dead, Dave Matthews Band, and more, manning
registration tables at concerts.
An interesting twist with HeadCount is the use of contests
to encourage people to volunteer to register people
to vote. Currently, HeadCount is sponsoring a contest
that features a grand prize of two VIP tickets to the
Bonnaroo Festival. For each set of five completed voter
registrations a person mails to HeadCount, that person
is entered in the contest for the VIP tickets. At this
time, HeadCount has received almost 1,000 entries —
thus almost 5,000 new voters are registered. The contest
ends May 24.
Another way that HeadCount is getting the word out
is through its Partner Program. The Partner Program
enables regional up-and-coming bands, promoters and
venues to receive materials that can be used to register
people to vote at their shows. Those who partner with
HeadCount will be listed on the HeadCount Web site.
HeadCount will take the time to recognize the bands
that register the most voters through a monthly recognition
contest, which features a banner ad on JamBase.com.
A grand prize for the Partner Program is being developed
as well.
Each of these organizations formed to remind people
they have a voice. These groups are concentrating much
of their energy on the 18-29 demographic, due to that
group’s lethargy in the voting process. Gelbard
defines this lethargy well: "There are a lot of
kids out there in the music scene who are very disillusioned
by the political process right now and have been generally
apathetic their whole adult lives when it comes to voting
— they genuinely feel like their vote does not
matter … and that’s just terrible."
If these organizations come only part of the way to
meeting their goals, the young vote will be a force
to be reckoned with. When asked what his one solid message
to young voters is, Davidson replied, "Register
to vote and then get out and vote on election day!
"Your vote makes a difference and there are key
issues like the war on terror and drugs, financing of
higher education, media consolidation and the environment
that directly effect voters under 30. Make sure politicians
hear your voice."
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