The Democratic National Committee is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a campaign to drive college students to the polls, with advertising on more than 30 campuses including several in North Carolina.
Ads warning students that “freedom is on the ballot” will appear at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina A&T State University, and Shaw University, among dozens of schools in other battleground states.
The targeted advertising campaign directs students to IWillVote.com/NC, which contains information about how and where to vote early in their area. It also urges support for Vice President Kamala Harris, her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and down-ballot Democrats.
“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,” said DNC Chair Jaime Harrison. “Democrats are fighting for students’ freedoms and their futures – from protecting reproductive rights, to fighting for student loan relief, to combating climate change and building a strong economy – so that students can get ahead after graduation. Young people in North Carolina who may be new to voting will be empowered to make their voices heard.”
The “I Will Vote” ads will appear on flyers, posters, and campus buses and bus shelters through North Carolina’s early voting period, which began Oct. 17 and runs through Nov. 2. As of Oct. 23, 1.7 million ballots, both absentee and in-person, have been cast, accounting for about 22% of registered voters in North Carolina. Turnout so far is about even for Democrats (589,084 ballots cast) and Republicans (578,537 ballots cast), according to the State Board of Elections daily turnout reports.
The initiative comes days after the DNC launched its “I Will Vote” Snapchat campaign during the final leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, continuing Democrats’ strategy to meet young voters where they are and provide them with the resources they need to participate in upcoming elections.
The ads inform students that “freedom is on the ballot” this election and that “Democrats have your back” – from protecting reproductive rights to American democracy, the DNC said.
Democrats are hopeful that young voters will turn out in significant numbers for Harris in North Carolina, where she is running neck-and-neck with former President Donald Trump, who carried the state in 2020 and 2016.
“Young voters have the power to be decisive in North Carolina elections and the Democratic Party is the only party championing policies that will build a brighter future for Gen Z,” the DNC said.
