I just posted an article over on Future Majority about why vote pledges work. There is some debate currently over whether or not it is a valuable use of time to collect vote pledges in areas the tend to vote overwhelmingly for Democrats. Here is why vote pledges are valuable to the youth movement and the Democratic Party no matter how Democratic the area.

We have often talked about the research showing that a young voter who votes for the Democratic Party in three consecutive elections will likely identify themself as a Democrat for the rest of their life. We have also talked about how the Millennial Generation is more mobile than any other. Just because a young person is living in a highly Democratic area now, there is a good chance they will eventually live in places that aren't.

The environment for collecting vote pledges and peer influence is much better in highly Democratic areas, so young people are more likely to been involved in social networks where being a Democrat is looked upon highly. By starting them on the path of becoming a life-long Democrat in areas where the peer reinforcement is supportive of the Democratic Party, the chances of success are very good. If and when they move to another location where the culture is not as supportive, the Democratic Party will already be a part of their identity.

While these are all long-term benefits, some chapters may feel that they would like to see a short-term benefit as well. Vote pledges do offer value in the short-term. The contact information of a number of young voters living in your area that are committed to voting for Democrats is extremely valuable in building your organization. You now have an entire pool of potential new members and volunteers, and by getting your foot in the door with a vote pledge, you may be able to get them to take more extensive actions in the future. 

So get those pledge cards in hand, start spreading the online pledge form, and let's build a youth-led Democratic majority across the country.