Young Americans are a crucial voter bloc Biden needs come November; therefore, Democrats are encouraging young progressives to register to vote—even if they have to pay for it.
Democrats.com is paying “progressive activists” under the age of 30 up to $35 to encourage their unregistered young progressive friends to vote. Since most of Democrats.com's demographic is over the age of 30, they are sending out emails asking receivers to send young Americans their way.
When young Americans sign up to be a scout, Democrats.com claimed in its email to “teach them how to find their unregistered friends” using SwipeBlue. Then, it will “help” young Americans send a text message to their friends “to check their registration–and register if needed.”
Democrats.com claimed to be focusing on the young generation of voters because “16 million GenZ adults” have become eligible to vote since the 2020 presidential election, and “GenZ is the most progressive generation in history.”
Although Democrats.com asks for scouts, not all young Americans meet the criteria. To be a scout, Democrats.com requires a young American to be a registered voter under 30, have a U.S. bank account, and be “passionate about reproductive rights, the climate crises, student debt and more,” according to a flier created by Democrats.com.
The flier also says young voters can receive a maximum of $35. For every text message sent, they earn 50 cents; for every friend they refer, they earn $2. Young voters can send up to 50 messages, earning $25, and refer up to 5 friends, earning $10.
Democrats are desperate to retain youth support because Biden’s approval rating has decreased since January 2021, even among young Americans. On Jan. 25, 2021, 57.7% of Americans under 30 approved how Biden was handling his job, and 31.6% disapproved, according to a chart published by YouGov. On June 3, 2024, 51.3% of Americans under 30 disapproved of Biden and 41.9% approved.
Even though approval ratings among young Americans are decreasing, the younger generation still makes up the largest percentage of Americans who would vote for Biden in the election. Democrats know that to increase Biden's chances of winning, they must target young Americans.
Democrats.com ended its email with, “Please forward this email to every GenZ activist you know.”