An organization called "Redeem the Vote" is hoping to get younger Iowans to participate in Saturday’s Straw Poll. Pastor Bill Devlin is national president of the group and he’s been traveling around Iowa this past week.
"Our goal at ‘Redeem the Vote’ is to get these young folks involved in the participatory contact sport known as democracy," Devlin says. According to Devlin, the presidential candidates have written off voters who’re under the age of 35.
"We believe at Redeem the Vote that we’re actually starting a revolution amongst young people. Just as ‘Rock the Vote’ has done an incredible job, they have a TV station — MTV and VH1 and BET," Devlin says. "We don’t have a TV station and that’s why we’re boots on the ground, grassroots." Devlin’s been speaking in Iowa churches and has been showing up at presidential candidate stops around the state to spread his message.
"We’re also doing a huge project on responsible citizenry and civic responsibility because we believe that we’re only one generation away from totalitarianism," Devlin says. "That’s why we often think that young people have forgotten…freedom isn’t really free." The pastor says his group’s target audience is "people of faith," as Christians need to be involved in the electoral process.
"We don’t say ‘Who would Jesus vote for?’" Devlin says. "But we do say ‘What would Jesus do?’" Devlin’s handing out a flier that not only encourages people to vote, but to choose Jesus as their personal savior.