Norman Lear's Declare Yourself - Janson Group

1. DECLARE YOURSELF
“Only You Can Silence Yourself”
Youth Voter Registration Initiative
How do you make self-involved, disinterested kids want to register and vote?
Being told what to do and what not to do, what to like and what to say,
top the list of things young people resent the most.
So, that’s not the answer.
This campaign challenges young people to disavow authority and go to that one place
where no one can tell you what to think, what to say, or how to express what you believe.
To declare their independence by registering and voting… Realizing that the only ones who can
stop it from happening and silencing them are themselves.
The campaign included an interactive website that let them talk to each other, find out more
about the issues and the candidates and learn how and where to vote and be heard.
Did it work?
In the 4 months before the 2004 elections, over 1 million young people went to the
“Declare Yourself.” site and registered- the largest response ever recorded in the category.