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By Mark Moran - Producer-Editor, Contact - News
Big Sky Connection - Young voters make up more than a quarter of the electorate in Montana but vote less often that older people. Advocates in Montana are working to help educate young people about the importance of voting while helping them overcome some of the unique obstacles they face in rural Montana. Comments from Kiersten Iwai (EE-we), executive director, Forward Montana.
Mark Moran
May 30, 2024 - Get-out-the-vote advocates in Montana are spending more time and money than ever to get young people educated about the elections and get them to the polls.
In Montana, young voters make up more than a quarter of the electorate. Nationwide, 63% of rural youths -- or about 30 million people -- are either infrequent or uncommitted voters. And of all the country's voter demographics, people younger than 35 are the most undecided. In Montana, young voters make up 28% of the state's electorate, but turn out in lower numbers than older voters.
Kiersten Iwai, executive director of Forward Montana, said organizers are trying to change it by mobilizing voters younger than 35 in small towns and rural areas.
"We are registering voters. We are calling them. We will be knocking on doors," Iwai outlined. "We will be hosting events and candidate forums to really build a lot of energy and excitement."
Iwai noted Montana's sheer size presents obstacles to voting, including for young people. So the Rural Youth Voter Fund is working to bring young people from rural areas together to discuss things such as health care, economic well-being, reproductive rights, climate and education.
Iwai pointed out while it is not something people tend to think of as a problem, young, rural Montanans are also facing a housing shortage which can cause additional obstacles to voting.
"And that's impacting people's abilities to not just live here but also like when they'll get their ballot and if their ballot will actually be mailed to them," Iwai emphasized.
The Rural Democracy Initiative has created an online dashboard to help people determine what "rural" really means. It provides county-by-county data on demographics and other key election issues.
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