Penn Leads the Vote
Penn Leads The Vote is a non-profit non-partisan student-run voter mobilization drive founded at the University of Pennsylvania in 2004 by Jason Oberman and Farrah Fries. The group's primary sponsor is the Robert A. Fox Leadership Program. Penn Leads The Vote is currently working to become a national organization and their website (http://www.leadthevote.com) has nationally relevant policy papers composed by major think-tanks, as well as various editorials by widely circulated political columnists.
The goal of Penn Leads The Vote is to increase student voter turnout by utilizing existing social networks on campus. According to 2006 President Brendan Darrow, the recent success is "a testament to the power of student leadership".
Student organizers work through various means including registration drives, t-shirt giveaways, and information campaigns involving flyers, posters, and Facebook.com.
Successes
In 2004, Penn Leads The Vote generated an unprecedented 280% increase in voter turnout on Penn's campus. This tremendous increase was unparalleled on college campuses throughout the nation.
Recent efforts surpassed the original percentage increase. In 2006, despite the fact that midterm elections GeneRally show very low turnout numbers, student efforts lead 1,521 students to vote on campus, three times the turnout in 2002 (509).
Leadership
2004: Jason Oberman, Farrah Fries
2005: Carine Carmy, David Helfenbein
2006: Brendan Darrow