01/08/08 - The Main Street Project Issues Rural Civic Engagement Survey
01/08/08 - The Main Street Project Issues Rural Civic Engagement Survey
Survey Designed to Assess Needs During Upcoming Elections
MINNEAPOLIS - The Main Street Project today announced the results of their regional rural civic engagement survey in preparation for the upcoming 2008 Presidential elections.
The Main Street Project, a grassroots initiative designed to increase political participation in rural areas, created the survey as a way to learn what organizations are planning to do to draw rural voters, and where they needed support for their efforts. The surveys were sent to a variety of organizations that work with communities of color in Minnesota and Iowa.
Among the respondents, the majority, 87.5 percent, indicated plans for voter education in an effort to drive people to the polls, with 75 percent using voter registration to encourage their membership. Assistance was requested with training and specific strategies for mobilizing rural voters--something that voter outreach coordinators said is both exciting and crucial to their efforts.
"The responses are very exciting and indicate that since the 2004 elections, rural organizations have continued to stay involved in civic engagement activities and remain committed to a strong voter turn out in their communities," said Amalia Anderson, Project Director, The Main Street Project. “Additionally, it's exciting to see so many organizations ready for Spanish language trainings and materials as well as working with the Latino community. Our civic engagement program is committed to culturally competent community building in all communities and to see this level of interest is exciting."
MSP_civic_eng_study.pdf