Cross posted by CYD President Rocky Fernandez at Keep California Blue, the CYD Blog.

Today Governor Schwarzenegger signed a very important bill-SB 381, the Online Voter Registration Act. This bill will allow people to register online if they have a signature on file with the state DMV.

Previous attempts to register people online have always run into a problem: you couldn't do so without a signature. Attempts to get people to register via text messages or Rock The Vote's popular online voter registration tool have always involved the extra step of printing out and mailing an application or receiving a pre-filled out card in the mail to sign and return. For anyone with a California ID or driver's license, this requirement falls away.

As California Secretary of State Debra Bowen has said,

"Californians can pay bills and file their taxes online. Being able to register to vote online is the next logical step in making it easier for Californians to participate fully in their democracy."

Well said.

Why is this so important to young voters?

We move a lot. It's true. Much more so than any other group. And every time we move, we have to re-register.

We also use our computers and phones a lot. When this bill is implemented, we will be able to quickly and conveniently use that technology to register to vote online. No printers or stamps necessary.

Really, the only question will be: what's the coolest place to say you registered to vote from...?

The California Young Democrats kicked off California's Young Voter Revolution at our brand new headquarters in Stockton on a sunny Saturday morning.

(Rocky and Christine at the HQ)

(Laurel trains a crew of CYD canvassers)

(CYD Campaign Director Gabe Gonzalez gets 'em going)

It was a great success, with dozens of cards signed during just a few hours out in the streets. We will soon follow up with all of our new supporters and make sure they get out and vote by Election Day.

Want to help us out in the Central Valley soon? Sign up for Voting Man 2008, coming up October 10th-12th.

Cross posted by CYD President Rocky Fernandez at Keep California Blue, the CYD Blog.

Sacramento Bee sets the record straight: Students can vote on campus!
In case you haven't heard, there's a common intimidation factor that is used to suppress the youth vote on college campuses: tell students registering to vote at their college that doing so might cause them to lose their scholarships or financial aid, or that their parent's tax status will be jeopardized.

The New York Times recently reported on problems at Virginia Tech (which just happens to be a swing state), at which the local registrar sent out notices warning of dire consequences for registering on campus.

Well, thankfully the Sacramento Bee lays the facts out for us in an Editorial titled: "Students can vote at college addresses." They lay out the problems in Virginia:

"Too often, election officials actively discourage young people from voting. We're seeing this now, especially in battleground states.

Here's one example. Inside Higher Education has reported that in Virginia Tech University's county, a registrar issued a press release telling students that if they register to vote at their college address, their parents will no longer be able to declare them as dependents in income-tax filings, that the students could lose their scholarships and that they could lose health, auto or other insurance coverage.

None of this is true. But this county is not alone in spreading such untruths."

"The U.S. tax code explicitly allows dependents to live away from home while attending school. And students covered on their parents' health insurance plans aren't affected if they register to vote in another county or state. Financial aid has nothing to do with where a student votes.

While we are out there running a professional campaign to turn out young Arkansans to vote for Democrats, the Young Republicans are (wait for it) just playing golf.  Kid, you, not.

Hat tip to the Arkansas Times Blog:

**Event Postponed**
 
Lakewood Driving Range Event     
 
Due to weather conditions, this event has been postponed until Thursday, October 9th.
 
When : October 9, 2008
 
Time : 5:30 - 7:00 PM
 
Where : Lakewood Driving Range

Cost: Free to YR Members, $5 for guests
 
Join the Central Arkansas Young Republicans as they take a whack at Obama at the Lakewood Driving Range.  A new 8 foot tall cutout of Barrack Obama will serve as one of the targets for the event. 
 
This event is guaranteed to be fun for everyone, even if you don't play golf.  Refreshments and snacks will be served.  Come out and enjoy an evening of Republican fellowship.  

For map and driving directions, please visit www.NLRgolf.com .  For more information, please call David Fort at 501.940.4653.

Perhaps, and I know it is pretty bold to think they might want our advice, but perhaps they should spend a little more time actually trying to engage young Arkansans and get them to the polls on Election Day.  Or, maybe they don't want young people to vote - worried that like 2004 - young Arkansans will vote for Democrats.

The Young Democrats of America kicked off an online video project earlier this year called whYDA.org (prounounce WHY d a ... get it?) to allow young people to share with each other their reasons for being Democrats or if they aren't Democrats, for voting Democrat.

Mary, our Pope County organizer for the Arkansas Young Voter Revolution campaign is one of the more recent videos.  Check it out.

Some video for you.  We had a great campaign kickoff in Conway last week.  Check out this video summary of what happened.

A report from Arkansas Director Peter Grumbles.

Let me begin by saying “I love being a Young Democrat”, I absolutely love it. Especially this year above all others.  But looking our at the landscape of our Nation their are a lot of things NOT to love. Our global markets have seized up and our economy is in the worst shape its been it in the last sixty years. The job market that we've spent the last four, five, ten years preping for in college is evaporating with companies moving operations over seas; unemployment is at a five year high and we are working harder for less. Our country is involved in two wars and the majority of the people fighting, dying and coming back missing limbs are our age.  This all bring us to this point. This all of this being done for our benefit? Did we “jack up” the price of the dollar, invade Iraq under false pretenses and blow the largest surplus in American history, only to create the largest deficit in American history (in a span of 8 years) for the benefit of us, our children or our children’s kids?

There has to be a time in everyone's life when you say “I've gotta do something about all this” and you lace up your boots and hit the streets. That's what I love about being a Young Democrat. In Arkansas that is exactly what we are doing...
 

In the first weeks since our kick-off, the energy out in the field has truly been sensational. The team here has been working furiously out in the field, hitting hundreds of doors and collecting hundreds of pledge cards. In addition, our street teams have been wildly successful, and have had amazing success spotting enthusiastic young democrats at George Mason University, or at local High School football games.

The response we've had here so far seems pretty clear- young people feel like our country is headed in the wrong direction, and change is necessary for progress to take place. They're tired of rising gas prices, seeing good jobs move overseas, and unaffordable health care.

Particularly moving was the story of Brandon, an international relations major from Kalida, OH. About four years ago, his parents had to leave Ohio when their factory jobs moved overseas, and Brandon made the decision to stay in Kalida to finish high school and pursue his dreams of being the first in his family to go to college. Feeling that the current administration wasn't giving his family and neighbors a fair shake to get ahead in their part of the country, Brandon founded his local young democrats chapter. He has worked diligently to help get democrats elected, and is now a volunteer here in Northern Virginia.