Washington, DC – The College Democrats of America (CDA) announced the launch of a nationwide youth empowerment campaign today called "Respect Our Vote." Intended to raise awareness among young people about their right to vote, the campaign seeks to combat Republican misinformation campaigns across the country. The full-scale campaign will mobilize thousands of college students across the nation to travel to important battleground states with the goal of informing students of how and where they can exercise their right to vote.

"The College Democrats of America are 100 percent committed to protecting a student's right to vote," said Katie Naranjo, President of the College Democrats of America. "Our goal is to make sure that every student has the information they need to make the most informed decision regarding where they cast their ballot."

"Voter disenfranchisement is an extremely serious matter which threatens the very core of our democracy. The right to vote shouldn't be about Democrats or Republicans, but unfortunately there are those who have purposely decided to disenfranchise young people – a group who they know will vote overwhelmingly for Democrats," added Naranjo.

"Young people have become more and more Democratic over the past eight years. The failed policies of the Bush-McCain era have alienated young people, and they are ready for a change. We live in a country where you simply can't disenfranchise your opponents. Recent polls demonstrate that 87 percent of young people want to vote this election cycle – it would be a travesty if Republicans stood in the way letting that happen." [Rock the Vote, 9/23/08]

For more information on the Respect Our Vote campaign, please visit http://www.RespectTheYouthVote.com.

College Democrats of America is the official youth outreach arm of the Democratic Party.