Non-profit Chicago Votes creates 'engaging and digestible' election guide for young voters
CHICAGO (CBS) -- As we near Election Day, young voters will be critical in determining the results of key races including the race for Chicago mayor.
CBS 2's Jamaica Ponder reported outside the Loop supersite with a look at how one Chicago non-profit is working to make voting easier for young people.
At voting sites around the city today, young voters may be relying on a 2023 Chicago Municipal Election Voting Guide made by the non-partisan, nonprofit organization Chicago Votes.
The guide is made by young voters for young voters to help Generation Z get a better understanding of the issues and the candidates on the ballot
"Something that you want to keep around your house, not just a mailer from a normal campaign," said Katrina Phidd, who runs communications for Chicago Votes, helping lead the development of their voter guides.
"We're reaching young people and we are young people ourselves, creating the content. So that makes it a lot easier to know, like what your audience wants," Phidd said.
She says their content is specifically designed to be both engaging and digestible.
"Something that someone can just like take a quick glance at," she said. "They don't have to be reading huge paragraphs and try and decipher what it means."
By using bright graphics and poppy colors, it helps guide voters through relevant social and political issues, much of their voter guide is aggregated from research and questionnaires sent directly to candidates.
"Out of all nine candidates, seven completed the questionnaire, which was– it's kind of incredible. I was like, five is my goal. But all nine reviewed it prior to release. So yeah, we're pretty proud about that," Phidd said.
The questions are based on feedback that Chicago Votes gets from young community members.
"So, we asked them, what are issues you're having in your day-to-day lives? And what are some things that are on the top of your mind when you're thinking about voting?" she said.
They use those answers to formulate new questions, this time for the candidates.
"We're asking very specific questions, too, because like they can give us the runaround on how they're going to end homelessness in the city," Phidd said. "But like yes or no, do you support this ordinance? Because how am I really going to hold you accountable if your answer is some runaround language?"
Both informative and artistic, Chicago Votes makes a pointed effort to produce political literature that voters will want to keep well past Election Day.
"We want to be putting stuff out there that shows joy," she said. "It shows young people organizing, in a community with each other, accomplishing their goals. Whether it be a community cleanup on the South Side, just picking up trash, or getting an alderperson elected that is genuinely going to address the needs of the community."
Chicago Votes' work goes beyond election season and from Feb. 24-26, they'll be having their Gas Weekend - an event for young voters who want to share space and gather in community with one another.
You can learn more about the event on their social media channels or at the Chicago Votes website.