For several years now the League of Young Voters has been doing the best it can to crash the traditional political scene by bringing a bunch of young people with them.

Those meddling, articulate, socially conscious kids and their dirty hippie friends.

The conventional wisdom has long been that young people don’t vote, either because they don’t care or because they just forgot to go to the polls that day. In the big elections – president, governor, Congress – over the last six years there have been countless stories (and I’ve written at least a few of them) about the role young people could play in tipping elections.

But groups like the league are trying to show that it takes work to build an under-40 voting block, through candidate debates, forums on local issues such as formula businesses in Portland and the Taxpayer Bill of Rights.

They also like to party.

Tonight the League is throwing ReEmergence, the annual night to kick back, have a few drinks, catch some local music and talk about what’s going on around Portland. The party starts at 7:30 p.m. at 58 Fore St., #11. Because it's a fundraiser there's a sliding scale to get in, somewhere between $8 - $20.

This is the third year for the party/fundraiser.

The lineup includes Vanessa Torres and Touching Ground, Grupo Esperanza, and Port Veritas Poets. The hip-hop portion of the night looks to be exciting, as more than a dozen MCs will be taking part in an all-Portland freestyle. League true believers Altruistic and SayLove will also be performing, as well as Sontiago.

Brian Hiatt, the league’s communication director, said the organization is working on a number of issues right now, including the Opportunity Maine campaign as well as raising awareness about the statewide bond referendum on June 12 and the local question on Portland’s library.

But none of that really matters tonight. It’s all about having fun and reaching out to people, he said. What makes the league work is that it looks for ways to make the political process more relatable to young people, or at least more welcoming, Hiatt said.

Young people do care about politics, but they also care about their community and having a good time, he said.

"It’s why the league exists, to take politics to young people where they are at," Hiatt said.

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