Despite these turnout increases, attempts to keep more young Americans from voting are widespread today. "Our voting process continues to be marred by bureaucratic ineptitude, premeditated shenanigans and outright attempts to disenfranchise young voters. These new voters will impact the election and, despite the attacks, are fighting back," said Heather Smith, Executive Director, Rock the Vote.

Voting rights violations are nothing new in our country - sadly, we have long history of targeting groups of people based on their race, socioeconomic status, or gender in attempts to keep them from registering and voting. In the 1960s, defenders of the status quo used police dogs and bloodshed; today, they use lies and threats, distributed online and through text messaging.

"If you ever needed proof that young people are making their mark on politics, just look at the new techniques of suppressing their vote through inaccurate text messages and Facebook status updates directing young people to vote on November 5. While, these tactics may appear less crude, the aim is just as criminal and sinister," said Heather Smith, Executive Director, Rock the Vote.