OHIO — Young voters across the country and in Ohio are energized, in part because they have crafted a political platform on the issues that matter most to them this election season.
“This year, young people are excited about fair elections,” said Rachel Collyer, Ohio Student Action program director. “We need real democracy and we need fair elections where young people’s votes and everyone’s votes can be counted equally and fairly. The war in Gaza and the desire for a ceasefire are important to young people. Add to that abortion access and reproductive freedoms, and that’s a big part of the program. There’s a lot at stake when it comes to the Senate race and the impact on abortion. There’s also a lot at stake with the state Supreme Court and how future interpretations of bodily autonomy might play out. Young people are very interested in this issue, and that’s why it will continue to be at the forefront even though we won reproductive freedoms in last year’s election.”
As they continue to refine and publicize their platform, there are now plans to tailor Ohio’s 80 different elections to the different areas of the state in an election handbook. This handbook will address the impact of the issues in the different elections.
“We call this a local election year, not just a presidential election, because there are so many things going on at the state and local level that affect the issues that matter to young people,” Collyer said.
In addition to the voter handbook, they are launching the largest voter participation program for young people in the state.
“We will be on many different campuses with our paid and volunteer programs,” Collyer said. “We plan to collect 40,000 voter registrations for young people across the state and distribute 200,000 voting guides this fall,” Collyer said.
The hope is to seize the moment across the state and have face-to-face conversations about the issues.
