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Rock the Vote, AT&T campaign to boost young voter turnout

Rock the Vote has teamed up with AT&T for a mobile campaign to help engage, educate and register millions of youth ages 18-29 to build on recent increases in young voter turnout.

The campaign will employ cross-carrier text message opt-in lists for election news and reminders, voter-registration updates and tools to increase registration. Plans for the program were revealed at a mock caucus for 300 Iowa high school students.

"Our strategy is to build the relevance of our brand with younger consumers as we help them get involved with the political process," said Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, executive director of wireless marketing for AT&T.

"We've had partnerships with RTV in the past but this is the most comprehensive, integrated program we've ever undertaken and it will be fueled by the intensity of texting among young people," he said.

The campaign will also feature exclusive celebrity ringtones that promote the importance of voting, text-polling, reports from student journalists and event sponsorships.

Content from the program will be made available to consumers of all ages. Details on individual elements of the campaign will be disclosed throughout 2008.

Raucous caucus
The Iowa program is one component of Rock the Vote's nationwide 2008 mobilization program.

Rock the Vote is a nonprofit founded in 1990 to defend freedom of speech and artistic expression. The organization seeks to engage the young in the political process by including the entertainment community and youth culture in its advocacy efforts.

"We hope to empower RTV to accomplish its goal of registering an incremental 2 million young adults to vote, engage millions of others and build brand equity among teens who may not be as familiar with the AT&T identity," Mr. Van Rensselaer said.

In 2004, voter turnout of individuals 18-29 jumped by 4.3 million compared with 2000 levels. In 2006, turnout grew another 1.9 million from the previous midterm election. Next year, 44 million young voters will be eligible to vote, making it a large and potentially powerful voting bloc.

"There is an enormous opportunity to increase voter turnout among young people," Mr. Van Rensselaer said. "We are using our leadership in technology to help them become part of the political process more easily. We'll also make the AT&T brand more relevant for this younger set."