DECLARE YOURSELF CONFIRMS IOWA YOUTH TURNOUT AS BEGINNING OF NATIONAL VOTING TREND

Non-partisan young voter initiative reveals data supporting new youth engagement

LOS ANGELES, CA (January 4, 2008) – Declare Yourself, the leading national nonpartisan, nonprofit youth voter organization today released national data confirming that the historical turnout of youth voters last night in Iowa is likely to sustain itself through the 2008 presidential primaries and into the general election.

Declare Yourself, founded by television pioneer Norman Lear, confirmed that the rate of registrations by young voters, particularly first-time voters, using Declare Yourself’s on-line registration form has increased 575% from Declare Yourself’s relaunch in July 2007 to January 2008’s projected total.

In another key statistic, the number of 18-24 year olds visiting Declare Yourself’s website (www.declareyourself.com) to register and obtain information about the elections and the registration process climbed 437% from July 2007 to this month (projected). All statistics represent a national cross-section of young people.

“These astounding numbers indicate that this election has grabbed young people and involved them in a way that tops even 2004’s record participation,” said Marc Morgenstern, Executive Director of Declare Yourself. “Our numbers and direct feedback from Declare Yourself’s hundreds of thousands of young constitutents show that Iowa is just the beginning of a major political reengagement this year by young voters.”

Declare Yourself registered 1.2 million young voters in the 2004 campaign, helping raise participation from 18-to-25-year-olds by 11 percent over the 2000 election. Still, in 2004, only 47 percent of 18-to-25-year-old citizens voted, compared to 66 percent of citizens over 25. Declare Yourself is well on its way to achieving its stated goals of registering at least 300,000 young people in time for the primaries and 2 million for the general election.

About Declare Yourself

Declare Yourself is a national nonpartisan, nonprofit campaign to empower and encourage every eligible 18-year-old in America to register and vote in the presidential primaries and 2008 presidential election. Using the power of strategic media partnerships, celebrity spokespeople, the sports arena, and most importantly, mobile and Internet technology, Declare Yourself's campaign blankets the landscape of popular culture, as well as universities and high schools, with a simple, clear message: REGISTER and VOTE!

For the 2008 primary season and general election, Declare Yourself is enlisting an unprecedented array of partners including Cricket Wireless, Yahoo!, MySpace, Google, UWIRE, Good Magazine, Clear Channel, Comedy Central, American Eagle Outfitters, Harper Collins, Starbucks, and Voto Latino. Easy registration is available through www.declareyourself.com or by texting VOTE to 55355 on your mobile phone.

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