Democrats Launch Ad Campaign at 30 Colleges

By Katherine Knott

In an effort to boost early voting among college students, the Democratic National Committee is planning to spend big on a new campaign—one of its largest efforts ever to reach young people and student voters.

The roughly $500,000 campaign will encourage students to vote early and vote for Democrats in “critical races for the White House, House and Senate,” according to the announcement, provided first to Inside Higher Ed. College students are a key demographic for Democrats and seen as critical to Vice President Kamala Harris’s bid to win the White House after young adults helped power President Joe Biden to victory in 2020, siding with him by a 25-point margin nationally.

The DNC is planning to paper 30 college campuses in 11 states with ads directing students to IWillVote.com. The ads, which will appear on campus buses and kiosks, among other places, declare that “freedom is on the ballot” and “Democrats have your back” and tell students what they need to vote in a particular state.

The campaign will roll out in the seven presidential battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as well as Florida, Iowa, New York and Ohio, where there are key congressional races.

The announcement didn’t specify which specific campuses will be targeted.

“Young voters have the power to be decisive in this election and the Democratic Party is the only party championing policies that will build a brighter future for Gen Z,” the announcement read. “This new campus initiative continues Democrats’ strategy to meet young voters where they are and provide them with the resources they need to participate in this election.”

College students overwhelmingly support Harris for president, according to an Inside Higher Ed survey conducted in September. However, about 8 percent of respondents said they weren’t planning to vote at all, and 15 percent were undecided. About 66 percent of college students voted in 2020, a record.

Students surveyed cited reproductive rights, the economy and the future of democracy as key issues that could impact their vote. The DNC campaign will highlight how Democrats will protect reproductive rights and democracy, according to the announcement.

The DNC has rolled out similar campaigns geared toward Native American, LGBTQ+ and Latino voters. Last month, the committee launched a voter registration and ad campaign at historically Black and Hispanic-serving institutions in six swing states.

This initiative comes as voters across the country are already casting ballots during early voting. Nearly 13 million people had voted as of Sunday, Forbes reported, including 5.3 million Republicans.

Encouraging students to vote early is a way to make sure they actually cast their ballots. They also have to grapple with new laws in 27 states that layer on additional requirements for voter registration or restrictions on voting by mail. Some experts worry the restrictions could hamper turnout among students, most of whom are voting for the first time.

“Whether it’s the race to send Vice President Harris and Governor Walz to the White House, or competitive House and Senate races, young voters know they can be the difference this election season,” DNC chair Jaime Harrison said in a statement. “Young people who may be new to voting will be empowered to make their voices heard.”