EUVOTE Turn out for what?
contents. Client. Problem. Objective. Background. Audience. Solution. Application. Ambassadors. Web. Event. Time line.
Lena
Athens School of Fine Arts Greece
Client.
EU40 is the network of Members of the European Parliament addressing those under forty. The network is being extended to also include interesting key-people in the European Commission and the Council. Especially designed to address those in relevant positions sharing the same generation, EU40 sees itself as the future network within the European Unions Institutions. EU40 brings together those who will change the face of Europe – either in the European Parliament, the European Commission or the Council. Approximately 10% of the Members of the European Parliament are forty years of age or younger. Our way of communication is not reflected in the usual scheme of the Brussels and Strasbourg political environment.
Oscar
University of Brussels Belgium
Problem.
Across the EU, youth voter turnout is declining due in large part to a lack of understanding of the EU political structures.
According to a Flash Eurobarometer report released by the European Commission, 66.5 percent of EU citizens under the age of 25 are “likely to vote” in the upcoming 2014 European elections.
Likelihood of EU citizens under 25 to vote
Likely 66.5%
Unlikely 32.5%
We want 80% of the “likely”s to vote.
Our goal
is to make sure at least 80 percent of them actually do. We want to build a campaign that increases understanding of the overall EU structures and voting process, and in doing so, we hope to increase voter turnout among younger EU citizens who are interested in voting, but may be confused by the process.
Objective .
Lukas
University of Vienna Austria
Background. EU Youth
80 percent of youth ages 16-24 years old in the EU used computer and Internet daily in 2013
43%
percent of young people <25 think MEPs are not directly elected by citizens in each member state
Source: European Parliament and European Commission
Voting
71%
of young people under the age of 25 did not vote in the 2009 European elections.
European Union voter turnout since 1979 Voter turnout has been steadily declining for decades in the EU. From 1979 to 2009, voter turnout at the European elections decreased from 62 percent to 43 percent. However, youth turnout has seen the deepest decline, dropping from nearly 4 percent between 2004 and 2009.
80 70 60 50 40
Gabriel
University of Lyon France
Ellie
University o United Ki
With this campaign, we are targeting EU citizens under the age of 25 who are already interested in voting in the European elections, but may be confused by the process.
This is not a general â&#x20AC;&#x153;get out the youth vote campaign,â&#x20AC;? to persuade the entire population of European young people to vote. Rather, its purpose is to increase understanding of the EU voting process and political structures, so those who are interested feel informed and empowered to vote on Election Day.
of Oxford ingdom
Audience . Key Insights - 61 percent of EU respondents under the age of 25 are interested in politics or elections in general. - These young voters tend to be more optimistic about the future, trusting the European Parliament more than their elder counterparts. - By educating people who are already interested in voting, we can have a more substantial impact on the number of young people who actually turnout to the polls.
Source: European Commission
We assembled a team of 50 brand ambassadors from universities across the EU and equipped them with the information and tools needed to help young people start their voting journeys. Throughout April and May, these brand ambassadors will host â&#x20AC;&#x153;chalkboardâ&#x20AC;? events where students can express why voting matters to them. Our team of brand ambassadors are there to guide students through use of the app, and answer any questions they may have about the elections. They provide a face for the campaign and serve as a connection to the voting process.
Solution .
Main Idea EUVOTE is campaign that will provide resources for young people who want to cast an informed vote in the upcoming European Parliament elections.
Points of Differentiation Our campaign uses technological innovation in the form of a mobile application. By giving people the tools needed to make them informed voters, we hope to create knowledge and understanding of the EU voting process. Our campaign also emphasizes education through interactivity, and is aimed at those who are already interested in voting, but may not have the tools to do so in an informed way.
Mirek
Charles University Prague
Application . The comprehensive iPhone and Andriod app helps students narrow down their voting selections. The main focus of the app is an extensive quiz, which gives students a â&#x20AC;&#x153;political profile.â&#x20AC;? Then, they will be able to chat with other students, find the closest polling location or look up fast facts about the candidates from their countries.
Amb
bassadors.
WEb.
Rory
Stockholm Univeristy Sweden
Twitter and Facebook profiles help us reach students not attending the universities where brand ambassadors are on campus and easily accessible. They also allow for a platform for debate and discussion between interested students.
At campuses across the EU, our brand ambassadors will host “chalkboard events.” Students passing by will have the opportunity to learn more about the elections and then sign a giant chalkboard declaring why they’re “turning out” to vote. Brand ambassadors will pass out free t-shirts and encourage students to download the app and visit the website.
Event. The TURN OUT FOR WHAT? chalkboard event at the Athens School of Fine Arts was a huge success. 200 people turned out to learn more about the elections and sign the chalkboards.
Time line.
March 15 Select brand ambassadors
March 20 Complete virtual training
April 1 Launch of app
throughout April and May “Chalkboard” events