Freedom's Answer is a non-partisan, non-profit voter turnout campaign led by our nation's youth. We have a HQ in DC, where adults like Pat Miller, Doug Bailey, Jim Jonas and Mike McCurry help us accomplish our goals – but the real HQ of Freedom’s Answer is spread across the country in thousands of homes where its student leaders live.

We’re tackling what we think is the biggest problem in the country: kids don’t care about politics. Four times more people watched Monday Night Smackdown in 2000 than the Democratic Presidential debates. Kinda sad, huh? We think we know the reason. Politicians don’t listen to young people… because young people don’t vote… and young people don’t vote because politicians don’t listen… It’s a vicious cycle and it’s time to break it.

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The Mission

The mission of the non-partisan, non-profit Youth e-Vote, Inc. 501(c)(3), founded by Mike McCurry and Doug Bailey, is to turn today’s students into tomorrow’s voters – by empowering them to see what a difference their participation can make.

The Freedom’s Answer program was planned in 2002 as a way American high school students could be part of the response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on their country. High Schools were encouraged to sign up for a web-based school-wide program that caused students (most too young to vote) each to seek ten voting pledges from their parents, grandparents, friends and neighbors.

With a goal of setting a new national voter turnout record for a non-presidential year, the Freedom’s Answer students never asked people to vote for or against a particular party or candidate – but rather to vote to honor the servicemen and women (then in Afghanistan) risking their lives every day for our freedom, including the right to vote.

2002 Results

• 2500+ High Schools
• 1,000,000 Students participating
• A national voter turnout record for a mid-term election:
  Old: 1994 – 75.1 million. New: 2002 – 78.9 million.
• New turnout records in 27 separate states.
• Student ‘ownership’ among participating groups: Via Thursday and Sunday conference calls among national and state student leaders of National Association of Student Councils; Boys State/Nation; Girls State/Nation; Junior Statesmen of America; Boys & Girls Clubs; YMCA Youth in Government; Junior ROTC; HOBY; Youth Partnership Team – America’s Promise.
• A book by the students: “Freedom’s Answer: When the Twin Towers fell, the next generation rose!” by the September 11 Generation.

2004 Goals

Note: It is Freedom’s Answer policy for precise goals to be set by the national student leadership at its summit. Therefore all goals cited here are exemplary only.

• As many high schools participating as possible (2500 took part in 2002)
• 2,500,000+ Students participating
• Every student secures 10 voter pledges from parents, grandparents, family, friends and neighbors.
• Every person pledging to vote is reminded on Election eve.
• Student poll workers inside all voting places to help on Election Day.
• Student poll greeters and thankers outside every polling place on Election Day.
• A new American voter turnout record for any election ever.
• National contest among 50 states to see which state increases its voter turnout percentage the most over 2000.
• State contests to see which schools deliver most pledges. (State capitol ceremonies)