How Student-Led ‘Rock the Vote’ Campaign Turned Out the Vote

CSC News & Reflections
Fall 2004

When David Corn, editor of The Nation, came to Notre Dame to debate the editor of the National Review, he feared the worst.

“"Given the school's conservative reputation, I noted it was my turn to enter the lion's den,” wrote Corn on his web blog. “But, as it turns out, there were no large carnivorous cats waiting to pounce upon me at Washington Hall. Instead, the auditorium was crowded with nearly 600 students, about half of whom raised their hands when I asked who would be voting for John Kerry this November.”

Indeed, Corn confessed to being surprised by the quality, tenor and passion of the political debate on campus. One reason for this may be the student-led Rock the Vote” campaign on campus this fall.

Started by students and sponsored mainly by the Center for Social Concerns, the Rock the Vote campaign's goal was to “transform the campus into a community of political awareness and action,” explains Peter Quaranto, the student coordinator for the effort.

The campaign was also a forum for the Center through which to highlight that civic engagement means more than direct service.

“We teach students that service and civic engagement can mean more than helping those in need,” said Rachel Tomas Morgan, advisor for the group and director of International Programs and Justice Education at the CSC. “In supporting the Rock the Vote Campaign we wanted to show students that voter registration and education was a significant way to contribute to their community.”

 According to an analysis of exit polls and early-vote tallies released  by the Center for Information & Research on Civil Learning & Engagement, at the University of Maryland at College Park, at least 20.9 million people ages 18 to 29 voted on election day, an increase of 28 percent, or 4.6 million, over 2000. The center also estimated that the young voters’ turnout rose by 9.3 percentage points, to 51.6 percent from 42.3 percent four years ago.

Among its many accomplishments, Rock the Vote managed to register over 1,500 voters, a number that not only garnered the attention and support of MTV, but also funds from their “20 million loud” contest.

While the Rock the Vote turned out a standing room only crowd for the Corn vs. Lowry debate, the real success story came from smaller events that drew in a range of views.

 “I think we have shined brightest when we brought people who would otherwise not talk about these issues into the mix,” said Quaranto.

For the Rock the Vote organizers, the biggest challenge was communicating the non-partisan nature of the campaign.

Both the College Democrats and the College Republicans were invited to promote, plan and even participate in the events of the Rock the Vote campaign.

“We are the future voters,  canvassers, leaders, soldiers, the bearers of the debt—and the ones who may tip the balance of future elections,” said Quaranto.