TOGETHER, WE CAN DRIVE CHANGE.

>>> FROM CONFUSION OVER VOTER REGISTRATION DETAILS TO LACK OF INFORMATION ON THE ISSUES, IT CAN BE HARD FOR YOUNG AND FIRST TIME VOTERS TO FEEL ENGAGED IN THE ELECTORAL PROCESS.

NOW ACCORDING TO THE CHICAGO BOARD OF ELECTIONS, ONLY 3% OF VOTES CAST WERE FROM VOTERS AGES 18 TO 34 -- TO 24, I AM SORRY IN THE FEBRUARY 28th ELECTION WITH THE MAYORAL RUN OFF ELECTION A NOW DAYS AWAY, WHY ARE NOT THE CITY YOUTH AND YOUNG PEOPLE TAKING PART IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS?

AND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO GET THEM TO THE POLLS?

HERE TO TALK ABOUT YOUTH VOTER TURN OUT ARE KATRINA WITH CHICAGO VOTES, AND JAMAL RAY WITH COMMUNITIES UNITED.

KATRINA, LET'S START WITH YOU.

I KNOW ON TUESDAY, CHICAGO VOTES HAD A PARTY AT THE POLLS BY GOING ON.

TELL ME ABOUT THAT AND HOW YOU MADE SURE THAT FIRST TIME VOTERS SPECIFICALLY, MADE THEM FEEL COMFORTABLE AT THE POLLS.

>> YEAH, SO VOTING FOR THE FIRST TIME CAN BE INTIMIDATING.

A LOT OF PEOPLE GO IN WITH THE ASSUMPTION THEY HAVE TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THE BALLOT AND EVERYTHING ABOUT THE ELECTORAL PROCESS TO PARTICIPATE.

THAT'S NOT TRUE.

SO CHICAGO VOTES YOU HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED PARADE TO THE POLLS WHICH IS GROWN INTO A PLETHORA OF OTHER THINGS INCLUDING PARTY AT THE POLLS.

SO THIS PAST TUESDAY, WE WORKED WITH 13 DIFFERENT HIGH SCHOOLS AROUND THE CITY, AND BUSED STUDENTS TO MAGGIE DAILY WHICH IS AN EARLY VOTING SITE.

AND WHILE THERE, WE HAD A DJ, GIANT INFLATEABLES, A RED CARPET AND MUSIC AND A STUDENT RALLY SO YOUNG PEOPLE COULD FEEL EMPOWERED AND HEAR FROM THEIR PEERS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTING AND GO AND CAST VOTES DIRECTLY THERE AS WELL.

>> I WANT TO ASK A FOLLOW-UP.

WHAT DID YOU FIND THAT THE YOUTH FOR MOST CONFUSED OR UNSURE ABOUT THIS THAT PROCESS OUTSIDE OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND LACK OF AWARENESS ON THE ISSUES?

HOW ARE THEY FEELING ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE?

>> YES, I THINK THAT NOW WITH THE RUN OFF WITH THERE BEING TWO CANDIDATES, THAT DOES SIMPLIFY THINGS AND MAXIMUM THINGS EASIER FOR VOTERS TO CONCEPTUALIZE.

BUT THERE'S A NUMBER OF BARRIERS, INCLUDING MISINFORMATION AROUND IDs TO USE TO VOTE.

HAVING THE CONFIDENCE TO VOTE AND ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF IF THERE'S AN ISSUE IF YOU ARE TOLD YOU HAVE TO CAST A PROVISIONAL BALLOT WHEN YOU DON'T.

IF YOU ARE TOLD TO SHOW A ID WHEN YOU DON'T AND HAVE THE SENSE OF CONFIDENCE AND SELF-EFFICACY.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER PRACTICAL REASONS.

THE POLLS ARE OPENED UNTIL 7:00 P.M. ON ELECTION DAY AND PEOPLE WORK AND HAVE JOBS AND SPORTS.

SO UNLESS THEY HAVE THE CHANCE FOR PARTICIPATION AND A PLAN TO GET THERE, IT MIGHT NOT BE TOP OF MIND.

>> JAMAL, I WANT TO GO TO YOU, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU ACTIVELY WORK WITH COMMUNITIES UNITED, BUT YOU ARE ALSO A FIRST YEAR ARCHITECTURE STUDENT AT IIT.

AND I KNOW THAT WE TALKED ABOUT HOW INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR THE YOUTH.

CAN COULD YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT THAT?

>> SO, INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE IS IMPORTANT TO THE YOUTH BECAUSE WHEN ARCHITECT DESIGNS A BUILDING, IT'S NOT THE BUILDING, BUT IT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE BUILDING.

SO, BUILDINGS LIKE COMMUNITY CENTERS, MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES IS IMPORTANT WHEN THE USE OF THE BUILDINGS IS TARGETED TOWARDS THE YOUTH AND HOW THEY CAN HAVE A PLACE TO BE WHEN THERE'S NOWHERE ELSE -- THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO DO.

SO, THE DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE IS REALLY POWERFUL WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ARCHITECTURE PERSPECTIVE DEFINITELY, FOR THINGS TO DO AS FAR AS OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL AND OUTSIDE OF HOME.

BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT SOMEWHERE TO BE.

IT STARTS WITH HOW CHICAGO'S INVESTMENT IN THE YOUTH WITH THE DESIGNING AND INFRASTRUCTURE OF BUILDINGS THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP.

SUCH AS LIKE COMMUNITY CENTERS, MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES AND OTHER BUILDINGS THAT WILL DEFINITELY BE POURED INTO THE YOUTH.

SO, INSTEAD OF THE TOWERS, BUILD COMMUNITY CENTERS FOR YOUTH.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

KATRINA, GOING BACK TO YOU, WHAT OTHER ISSUES DO YOU FIND THE YOUTH ARE CONCERNED WITH?

I THINK PROBABLY INVESTMENT IN HE HAD CASE, PUBLIC SAFETY ARE TWO ISSUES OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD I THINK OF.

WHAT HAS YOUR RESEARCH SHOWN?

>> I WANT TO ECHO POINT HE MADE, BECAUSE I THINK INFRASTRUCTURE IS A SUPER IMPORTANT ASPECT OF WHAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF THINGS LIKE PUBLIC SAFETY AND EDUCATION.

THERE IS -- PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS WHAT PUBLIC SAFETY MEANS.

AND WHAT WE ARE HEARING FROM YOUNG PEOPLE, THEY WANT TO HEAR ABOUT ALTERNATIVES TO THE POLICE.

THEY WANT TO HEAR ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS BEING OPENED UP BECAUSE THAT'S PUBLIC SAFETY.

THEY WANT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

THEY WANT ACCESS TO FRESH PRODUCE.

THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO BE IN THE PARKS AND FEEL SAFE WALKING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS.

AND THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE ALTER PEOPLE AND MAYOR HAVE POWER OVER THE THINGS.

SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONNECT THE ISSUES, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE POWER SO YOUNG PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR VOTE.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

JAMAL, I WANT TO GO BACK TO YOU.

I KNOW YOU DO WORK WITH COMMUNITIES UNITED.

AND A COMMON ISSUE AMONG YOUNGER FOLK IS THAT THEY FEEL THAT THE CANDIDATES DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT CHALLENGE THEY HAVE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT IN THE SAME AGE BRACKET.

HOW IS YOUR WORK WITH COMMUNITIES UNITED WORKING TO HELP THE CANDIDATES AND THE PUBLIC GET YOUR VOICES OUT THERE, THE DESIRES THAT YOU ALL HAVE?

>> COMMUNITY UNITED IS A GREAT HELP WITH ADVOCATING FOR YOUTH, BUT THEY ALLOW YOUTH TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES AT THE FOREFRONT OF WHAT THE ISSUES THEY WANT TO ATTACK.

SO, LIKE ME, AS BEING A PART OF COMMUNITIES UNITED, I WAS OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, PUTTING IN THE WORK THAT I WANTED TO SEE.

LIKE, A DIFFERENCE I WANTED TO SEE.

SO, COMMUNITIES UNITED HAD PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE THAT ALLOWS THE YOUTH TO TAKE THE ACTIONS TO GET THINGS DONE.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

KATRINA, GOING BACK TO YOU, THINKING ABOUT YOUNG VOTERS THAT MIGHT BE WATCHING THIS SEGMENT AND MAY NOT FEEL CONVINCED TO VOTE, WHY WOULD YOU SAY VOTING IN THE ELECTION IS IMPORTANT?

>> OH, BIG QUESTION.

I THINK THAT THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL ELECTIONS THAT WE HAVE HAD IN OUR LIFETIME AS YOUNG VOTERS.

AND WE ARE SEEING THAT RUN-OFF NUMBERS, THIS YEAR, COMPARED TO THE LAST RUN-OFF IN 2019, THEY ARE MUCH HIGHER.

THIS POINT IN THE ELECTION IN 2019, THERE WERE AROUND 80,000 VOTES CAST.

NOW WE ARE AT AROUND 150,000.

SO WE ARE VOTING IN HIGHER NUMBERS, AND THE REASON THAT IS SO IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE YOUNG PEOPLE MAKE UP THE LARGEST PART OF THE ELECTORATE.

SO WE HOLD THE MOST POWER IN NUMBERS.

AND IF WE SHOW UP TO THE POLLS, WE CAN REALLY DECIDE HOW THIS ELECTION IS GOING TO GO.

AND GOING OFF THAT, THERE ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT CANDIDATES IN TERMS OF NOT ONLY IDENTITY AND EXPERIENCE.

BUT IN TERMS OF POLITICAL BELIEFS AND ORGANIZING STRATEGY.

SO IT'S KIND OF THERE'S A CLEAR LINE BETWEEN THE CANDIDATES WHICH MAKES IT A LITTLE EASIER TO FIND SOMEONE WHO IDENTIFIES WITH YOUR VALUES.

>> AS WE HEAD INTO THE RUN-OFF ELECTION WHAT ADDITIONAL WORK IS CHICAGO VOTES DOING.

I KNOW YOU WORKED WITH CPS STUDENT, BUT THINKING ABOUT SCHOOL.

>> WE HAVE BEEN HOSTING PARTIES AND PARADES WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.

WE HAVE BEEN HOSTING EVENTS AT COMMUNITY COLLEGE THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO MOBILIZE THEM TO VOTE.

WE ALSO DO A LOT OF WORK IN THE JAILS, BECAUSE PEOPLE BEING HELD PRETRIAL HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE.

SO WE DISTRIBUTED OUR VOTER GUIDES TO PEOPLE IN THE JAIL IN ADDITION TO PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.

AND THEN ELECTIONS WERE HELD IN THE JAIL AND WE KIND OF OVERSEE AND MAKE SURE THAT PROCESS RUNS SMOOTHLY.

SO WE ARE TRYING TO GET YOUNG PEOPLE WHERE WE KNOW THEY ARE.

THEY ARE IN SCHOOL, UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE INCARS NATED, AND WE ARE PARTNERING LIKE DISTRIBUTING VOTER GUIDES IN FITNESS CENTERS AND YOGA STEWEDETSERS AND MARCH MADNESS THEMES.

AND WE ARE TRYING TO GO WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE AND HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, INSTEAD OF BEING GO VOTE, FIND US IF YOU FEEL LIKE IT.

>> MAKING IT ACCESSIBLE.

>> YEAH.

>> NOT MAKING IT DIFFICULT.

>> YEAH.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THANKS TO KATRINA AND JAMAL.

AND DON'T FORGET TO VISIT OUR WTTW NEWS VOTER GUIDE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.