Photo by Lamont Cranston
Maria Teresa Kumar (@MariaTeresa1) is the founding CEO/President of Voto Latino, where she grounded the organization in technology and developed the first ever voter registration via text message in 2006. She has grown the organization from a voter registration outlet to the leading social media online community with over 15 media partners, 120 bloggers, 20 national partners and a field operation in seven states, which have registered over 120,000 voters.
The Millennial generation is huge. Made up of those born between 1982–2003, with the oldest being 30, more than half of Millennial youth are able to vote this year. This generation is different from any other as they were born with technology literally in the palm of their hand. It’s a huge generation of Americans—estimated at 80 million—and they strongly influenced the 2008 election, believing in Obama’s message of change. And now, in 2012, we’re meeting them where they are with digital tools that educate them on issues and enable them to take fast action.
Unlike generations before, the Millennial generation grew up connected. They’re changemakers and experts on spreading messages quickly. Morley Winograd and Michael D. Hais's best-selling book Millennial Momentum refers to this generation, which will make up 34 percent of the population in 2020, as the "civic" generation.
They’re our future leaders, optimistic about brighter days. We’re relying on Generation Y to turn our country around.
This is why we’re creating social and mobile apps that get people excited about the 2012 elections and encourage them to want to vote on issues that affect them: home foreclosures, women’s reproductive rights, immigration. We’ve succeeded at this in the past, registering more than 120,000 young Latino voters and inspiring them to be counted in the 2010 Census, and we are coming out even stronger this year.
We’re building tools for a generation we know will mobilize, stand up, and take action on real policies that affect them in a real way. Latinos are speaking out for access to affordable education, jobs, and health care. We’re cultivating this activist spirit by creating innovative tools such as an iTunes Facebook applications for free songs by artists that support the cause.
We know 18-34-year-old English-dominant Latinos are early adopters of technology and primarily use the Internet on their phones, which is why we’re revolutionizing the voting process with mobile apps that make registering as simple as sending a text. With all the voter ID challenges ahead, this app gives users up-to-date information on their polling places, what they need to bring, what their state’s ID requirements are, who’s on the ballot, and tools for voter protection.
We’re integrating social media and SMS communications with all of our apps, so young people can spread the knowledge with family and friends—like the African proverb goes, “Each one, teach one.”
We at Social Citizens want to know what role YOU think MIllennials will play in the upcoming Presidential elections... what apps or technology tools are you seeing that are shaping elections and political action in general?