These partisan and nonpartisan groups alike are hoping music will inspire young voters to get involved in America’s political process.

Unfortunately, I know several people who are still searching for a reason to care about who holds significant government positions.

These bands and political groups give my generation the information we need to make important choices. If connecting elections to rock music is what it takes to spur political excitement among my peers, I’m all for it.

Music for America (MfA) sponsors concerts, comedy shows and festivals throughout the nation to encourage music fans to incorporate political participation into their daily lifestyle.

MfA urges young people to get involved, whether that means volunteering for a campaign or simply chatting with friends about the issues and candidates.

It focuses on issues that affect music lovers and young voters, like file sharing and Federal Communications Commission restrictions. It also tackles employment and our future job prospects, health care, fighting for the public interest over corporate profits in the media, fighting the war on terror and the war on drugs, and finding new ways to preserve the environment.

MfA is helping my generation understand how much of our future is in the hands of politicians.

Another group trying to gear up my peers is Punkvoter, a politically progressive organization that recruits disenchanted voters through punk music. The political persuasion is apparent in the titles of its two records, “Rock Against Bush” Volumes 1 and 2.

Punkvoter’s music speaks to the failures of the Bush administration and why we, as young people, should care. Punkvoter.com compares the 537 votes Al Gore lost by in Florida to a small punk-rock concert. An average 1,000-person show would have been enough for a solid Gore win.

Yet another political group “made up of nonpolitical people” is No Vote Left Behind, which hails from Seattle and raises money for the Democratic National Committee by putting on shows.

Unlike Punkvoter, this group reports to the Federal Election Commission and therefore faces stricter guidelines.

Critics of groups like these say organizers are putting words into the mouths of delirious rock fans. I say they are promoting democracy and combining political involvement with issues music lovers care about.

These bands and organizations bring the election home. After an appalling voter turnout of 18- to 29-year-olds in 2000 — 38 percent! — I applaud people in the music community who are doing their best to excite young voters.

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