A Competition Between Cities Named 'Springfield' Urges Young Voters

KSMU | By Nina Todea

Published October 17, 2018 at 4:56 PM CDT

The midterm elections will be held on November 6, 2018.

Four cities named Springfield – including ours here in Missouri—are using friendly competition to educate young citizens about the importance of their votes.

The “Springfield Votes!” campaign is a way to increase voter turnout among 18-to 34-year-olds – which is often the least active demographic of voters in U.S. midterm elections.

The League of Women Voters of Southwest Missouri said in a press release that the contest is between Springfield, Missouri and the Springfield cities in Illinois, Massachusetts, and Oregon.Listen to the audio of this report here.

The city that increases young voter turnout by the greatest percentage since the 2014 midterm election will be crowned champion. The prize? A regional gift from each of the other Springfields.

The contest is organized by the League of Women Voters chapter in each area.