14 DAY TRIAL // Rock the Vote, the non-profit organization which aims to up the political participation of the youngsters, and the Video Game Voters Network, a non-profit that organizes politically minded gamers, announce that they are creating a partnership which aims to boost the political participation of young people for the upcoming midterm elections in the United States.
Rich Taylor, a spokesman for VGVN, states, “A core goal of the VGVN is to offer video game players a chance to contribute their voice to political conversations, and take action on issues they care about. VGVN’s partnership with Rock the Vote will continue to help gamers stay engaged with our government by ensuring they are registered to vote this fall.”
The VGVN will use the voter registration tools that have been created by Rock the Vote, and members will also be able to reach out to friends and school buddies in order to try and increase presence at the polls.
Ashley Spillane, the president of Rock the Vote, adds, “As states across the country are trying to make it more difficult for young people to vote, Rock the Vote is proud to be partnering with the Video Game Voters Networks to promote online voter registration. Rock the Vote is thrilled to be working with the VGVN to boost election participation among millennial and first-time voters.”
Elections matter even for video games
Traditionally, young people and video games tend to be uninterested in politics and have a rather small presence at the polls, even during crucial presidential elections, almost everywhere in the world.
In the United States, the partnership between Rock the Vote and the VGVN aims to register 1.5 million new voters, while also raising awareness about voting rights and promoting policies that make it easier for gamers to vote.
An official site offers more details about the initiatives and how those interested can take part.
Recently, the United States government became preoccupied with the issue of violence in video games, and it’s possible that in the future either the Senate or the Congress could consider a bill that would restrict sales to some categories of gamers when a title contains too much mature content.
It will also be interesting to see whether any of the high profile candidates that will try to get elected this fall will have a clear position on whether video games are covered by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution or not.