[Lwvcnmtopics] LWVCNM Monthly Meeting - Thursday October 9th at Noon - Engaging the Youth Vote - Zoom and In Person

[LWV CentralNewMexico]

Dear LWVCNM Members,

Please join us on Thursday October 9th at noon for our Monthly Educational
Meeting. The meeting will be hybrid, both in person and on Zoom. Zoom
invitation is below.

*WHERE:       *LWVCNM Offices Conference Room, 6739 Academy Rd. NE, ample
parking available;

In person (members and guests); Zoom (members and general public)

*TOPIC:  *       Engaging the Youth Vote: Increasing Youth Voter Engagement
in Local and Municipal Elections

*                      PANELISTS:  *Blanca Ortiz, Dovya Friedman, Lisa
Bryant

Voter turnout is historically much lower for local and municipal elections
than for general elections. This is especially true for young voters. In
Bernalillo County there are almost 50,000 registered voters aged 18-25
years old. In 2023, less than 2,000 showed up to vote in the municipal and
local election. In 2024, less than 2,000 voted in the Primary Election. But
in November 2024, over 26,000 voted in the General Election.



*We do a good job of registering young voters but fail to engage them in
non-presidential elections.  *

*What can be done to increase their participation?*



What are the barriers to youth voting in local elections?  What are the
incentives to vote? What are we missing?  What communication strategies
might be most effective?

Our panelists will share their perspectives on this issue and discuss
possible ways to engage younger voters in these elections so that their
interests may be better represented in the decisions made by local
government.



[image: A person wearing glasses and a white jacket AI-generated content
may be incorrect.]



Blanca was born and raised in Santa Fe, NM, and earned her Bachelor’s of
Arts in Political Science from Earlham College. She’s no stranger to the
hardships that many individuals and families navigate in their day-to-day
lives. These challenges have emboldened her to be present and active in her
community. She currently works as a Site Coordinator for Communities in
Schools New Mexico, where she helps to provide resources that support the
betterment and quality of life of underserved communities. Blanca is
passionate about education and immigration, and she hopes to explore
policies intended to bridge the socioeconomic gap. She is especially
interested in changes in immigration law and theory coincident with
prevailing social issues.

Blanca Ortiz

UNM Graduate Student Public Policy

[image: A screenshot of a phone AI-generated content may be incorrect.]



Dovya Friedman has spent the past thirty years engaging with audiences on
behalf of a diverse client base - corporate, civic, for profit, non profit
- through branding, communication, marketing and advertising. Through
Utility Agency, a small, woman-owned business, operating from Albuquerque's
South Valley, every opportunity to support the success of a client is an
opportunity to finesse our expertise and level up our services,
all customized to each organization, all matched to their mission and
culture. Dovya proudly serves on the Board of Directors for Keshet Dance
and Center for the Arts, and TEDxABQ.



Dovya Friedman

Owner/CEO, Utility Agency & DLF Branding



[image: A person in a red shirt AI-generated content may be incorrect.]



Lisa Bryant Ph.D. is currently Chair of Department of Political Science at
California State University, Fresno, Dr. Bryant's research focuses
primarily on election administration, public opinion and political
behavior, campaigns and elections, and gender and representation.

In addition to academic teaching and research, she has experience in the
field of public opinion survey research and data analysis in both the
public and private sectors and has worked with several non-partisan
organizations, such as Pew Charitable Trusts and the Democracy Fund, to
better understand voter behavior and increase voter registration and
turnout.

In 2024 she received an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship and during her two-year
fellowship she will explore how partisan polarization has impacted election
administration.

She has been instrumental in establishing and maintaining the student
chapter of the League of Women Voters at California State University,
Fresno.



Lisa Bryant, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Political Science

California State University, Fresno




Zoom Invitation
LWVCNM is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Engaging the Youth Vote
Time: Oct 9, 2025 12:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83756475845?pwd=zDhY7DaFUXMpiF45rdHamj8WIFAFRf.1

Meeting ID: 837 5647 5845
Passcode: 523041

---

League of Women Voters of Central New Mexico
6739 Academy Rd. NE  Suite 124
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109-3352
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