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DNC registration effort targets college students ‘where they are’

Efforts by the Democratic National Committee to urge college students to register to vote will include banner planes over football games, including at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images North America/TNS)
By Niels Lesniewski CQ-Roll Call CQ-Roll Call

WASHINGTON – The Democratic National Committee is launching a new voter registration effort targeting younger voters – including at college football games in two key states.

It’s part of a broader six-figure expenditure to reach younger would-be voters are ahead of midterm elections in places where there are key gubernatorial, Senate and House races. The ads on a variety of platforms promote IWILLVOTE.com in conjunction with National Voter Registration Day, which is Tuesday.

“The right of every eligible citizen to vote is a core tenet of our democracy – and with so much on the line this year, it’s never been more important that we exercise that right,” DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said in a statement. “The stakes of the midterm elections are big for young Americans and the DNC is meeting them where they are to encourage them to register to vote and make their voices heard.”

A summary of the ad buys shared with CQ Roll Call includes digital ads on platforms such as YouTube and Instagram, digital screens in proximity to key college campuses, popular apps, and the ESPN and Yahoo! sports digital platforms.

Planes will also pull registration-themed banners near college football stadiums in two battleground states states that backed Joe Biden for president in 2020 after going for Donald Trump in 2016: Michigan and Pennsylvania.

In Michigan, the planes will fly over Ann Arbor and East Lansing on Saturday, where the University of Michigan and Michigan State are playing. Planes also will fly over University Park, Pennsylvania, ahead of Penn State’s matchup with Central Michigan, and over Pittsburgh ahead of Pitt’s contest against University of Rhode Island, a DNC official said.

The latest campaign is part of a $25 million Democratic Party effort this election cycle to support voter registration through the IWILLVOTE.com platform.

Beyond Michigan and Pennsylvania, the DNC said the digital commitments will target college students in other key states, including Nevada and North Carolina.