Community College Vote '24 Campaign will boost new voter turnout at more than 100 schools across 23 states with support from The Executive Leadership Council and in partnership with ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, League of Women Voters, More Than A Vote, Poder Latinx, Poderistas, Students Learn Students Vote Coalition, UnidosUS, VoteRiders and When We All Vote
NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios today announced the Community College Vote '24 campaign, building on the global media company's longstanding commitment to driving new and young voters to the polls by reaching a group that has been widely under-resourced: community college students.
There is a significant discrepancy between voter turnout for students from two-year schools and those attending public four-year universities. In 2020, community college students – representing approximately one-third of U.S. postsecondary students at the time – had a national voting rate nearly 10 percentage points lower than students at public four-year universities in the last presidential election.
Through grants and programming, SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment will provide support to more than 100 community colleges across 23 states through partnerships with ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, League of Women Voters, More Than A Vote, Poder Latinx, Poderistas, Students Learn Students Vote Coalition, VoteRiders and When We All Vote.
The Community College Vote '24 campaign builds upon the entertainment brand's April 2024 announcement with Levi Strauss & Co. and Lyft, and a coalition of companies, to close the community college voter gap by turning out 500,000 new community college voters by 2028.
"Community college students represent a significant portion of the electorate, but they face unique barriers to voting," said Brianna Cayo Cotter, SVP of Social Impact at SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios. "With the Community College Vote '24 campaign, we're focused on breaking down those barriers by working with local and national partners to ensure every student has the tools and information they need to cast their vote. Our goal is to empower the students at these 100+ community colleges to make their voices heard by participating in our democracy, and in doing so, strengthen the democratic process for all."
"Community colleges help make higher education attainable for millions of people who otherwise wouldn't have access," said SLSV Coalition Co-founder and Executive Director Clarissa Unger. "Thanks to support from partners like MTV, Levi Strauss & Co., and other companies in the Community College Commitment, we helped more than 200 community colleges host mobilizations that celebrate and encourage democratic engagement in their communities, showing their students that their voices matter and deserve to be heard alongside all students and citizens of our country."
"This year -- and every year -- we are proud to partner with community colleges to ensure students are registered and ready to vote. As part of the Community College Vote '24 campaign, we're supporting more community college campuses than ever before – nearly 300 across the country – to get students excited about using the power of their voices and voting in this critical election year," said Jen Domagal-Goldman, Executive Director of ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.
Access to voting information on community college campuses is critical to ensuring that young people of all backgrounds have a voice in this election, as community colleges represent more than 10 million students and are traditionally more diverse than four-year colleges and universities. Among the full undergraduate student population, community colleges account for 39% of Black students, 48% of Hispanic students, 34% of AAPI students, and 52% of Native American students.
In addition to SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios' sizable contributions to these efforts, MTV has also partnered with The Executive Leadership Council, the pre-eminent non-profit membership organization of more than 800 current and former Black CEOs, senior executives, and board directors representing the largest companies and major firms dedicated to the growth and development of Black executives to positively impact business and our communities. This fall, MTV, The ELC, and their partners will support:
Additionally, in April 2024, SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment, in partnership with Levi's®, the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition, the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, Good Trouble Collaborative, and the American Association of Community Colleges, launched the Community College Concert Competition. In addition to the 100+ community colleges receiving support through the activations above, nearly 150 participating community colleges that host qualified registration drives or voter education events entered to win this live, on-campus Vote Early concert. Austin Community College District won the flagship event featuring the powerhouse vocalist and songwriter, Jessie Murph, who also performed last month at the 2024 VMAs.
Full list of Community College Campuses with Vote '24 Activations (this does not include all colleges who entered the Community College Concert Competition):
Arizona
California
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Montana
North Carolina
Nebraska
Nevada
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Texas
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin
With more than 40 million Gen Zers eligible to vote in the 2024 election, MTV Entertainment Studios is continuing its mission to empower young and new voters, a commitment that began in 1992 with the first-of-its-kind "Choose or Lose" campaign that explained the political process to young people. These efforts continued with the passage of the Motor Voter Act in 1993, when the brand's partnership with nonprofit Rock the Vote included PSAs with stars like Madonna asking young people to call their representatives to pass the legislation that simplified the voter registration process for anybody who applied for or renewed a driver's license. In 2020, MTV founded Vote Early Day, a national holiday that has helped millions of people vote early. This election cycle's commitment to close the nearly 10 percentage point voter turnout gap between students at community colleges and students at public four-year institutions marks a new frontier in ensuring that young and new voters have the access and resources they need to make their voices heard in the democratic process.
About SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks
SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks is a global network of media assets that reaches over one billion people in more than 180 countries featuring some of the most iconic brands in entertainment including SHOWTIME, MTV, Comedy Central and Paramount Network among others – and, its Studios arm which produces 120+ series annually, including some of today's biggest hits such as Yellowstone, Yellowjackets, Emily in Paris, 1883, 1923, George & Tammy, South Park, Tulsa King, RuPaul's Drag Race, The Challenge and Jersey Shore, to name a few. SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios uses its reach for social impact, spearheading broad change-driven coalitions through its Mental Health is Health and youth voter access initiatives.
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SOURCE SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios