The Graduate School of Political Management announced last week the winning organizations of the first-ever national competition to support nonpartisan strategies to register young voters.

Christopher Arterton, dean of the Graduate School of Political Management said in a news release, “Parties should take note – in today’s evenly divided electorate, whoever wins over young voters will win close elections in the short run and likely be the party in power in the long run.”

The $3 million project is funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts and coordinated by GW’s Young Voter Strategies Project.

The winning programs will work to register 350,000 youths in 2006 for the upcoming elections. After the elections, researchers will look at which strategies were most effective.

Mobile Voter and Music for America will register 18 to 29 year olds nationwide using creative text-messaging and Internet technology; the National Council of La Raza will register young Latinos through its network of community-based organizations and service centers in 10 states; and Black Youth Vote will register young blacks, focusing on those displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

-Lizzie Wozobski