Nonprofit Aims To Register 40,000 Young Oklahomans With New Campaign

Oklahomans between the age of 18 and 34 should be expecting a piece of mail from nonprofit, Grit for Democracy.

“These are the future leaders of our state. If we want our young people to stay here after they go to our colleges and universities, we need them to engage in the democratic process,” said Abby Broyles, the President and Founder of Grit for Democracy.

In a partnership with the state election board, the organization has been raising funds to send 40,000 young Oklahomans voting information. The packet also includes a pre-paid envelope to send in your information to register to vote.

“Eighteen-to-twenty-nine-year old’s make up the largest voting cohort in the nation. Right now, if young people vote in large numbers, they have the opportunity to make a real impact in our elections whatever way that might be,” said Lauren Schueler the N.E.W Leadership Director at the University of Oklahoma.

College students we spoke to said they are registered to vote but are not surprised by the low voter turnout among their peers.

“I think that young people hear older adults discount them a lot of the time and I think some people internalize that and maybe feel like they aren’t qualified,” said OU student Kamryn Yanchick.

“I think it is intimidating, I remember being in high school and not understand. The political world is so big and who’s right and who’s wrong, where do you fit in all of that?” said UCO student Molly Moralez.

They said there needs to be more education about voting and access to help people register.

 “Whenever the presidential election came around, I had a lot of friends tell me they weren’t even registered. A lot of people came to me and asked, ‘How do I register?” UCO student Tyler Whitehead said.