Category: Paola Singer
Youth Turnout Could Be High This Election
By Paola Singer
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 – Their activism may not match the intensity of their 1960’s counterparts, but college students in 2004 are shedding the political apathy that has characterized them for many years.
A look at young people’s political engagement, particularly in this year’s presidential battleground states, indicates their turnout at the polls could be one the highest in decades and could be a factor in the race’s outcome.
Sixty percent of Americans 18-29 have registered to vote in 2004, and of those, 85 percent say they plan to go to the polls in November, according to a September poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. If they do vote, it would represent a spike in political participation among youths, which has been on the decline since 1972, the first presidential election after the voting age was lowered to 18. Only in the 1992 election – much to the credit of independent candidate Ross Perot – did youth participation not decline.
This year, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan have the largest number of eligible young voters.
“Coming into college I was very apathetic about politics. I really didn’t know where I stood,” said Tarah Rogowski, a senior at the University of Miami. But after attending a few school-sponsored political events “just to get more information,” her attitude started to change.
Today she is the public relations coordinator for the university’s Council for Democracy, a non-partisan student organization that began its get-out-the-vote efforts two years ago. Among several initiatives, including debate-watch parties called “pitchers and politics,” they are selling T-shirts -which Rogowski designed – that read “voters are sexy.” Those who wear the shirt on Election Day will have the chance to win gift certificates from Starbucks and other goodies.
It seems her efforts, and those of other political groups at the university, are paying off. “If you go around campus most people have buttons and stickers,” she said.
“Those 8,000 votes could really make a difference on the way this election goes,” she said about the student body at Miami. “We have a very loud voice.”
In spite of the general perception that people of college age tend to be liberals, no party dominates the youth vote, making it hard to predict how it will tilt the electorate. A September poll conducted by CIRCLE (Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement) and MTV found that 46 percent of registered voters aged 18 to 29 favored Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kerry, while 40 percent supported President Bush. But according to a simultaneous Pew Research Center poll, 48 percent of voters in the same age group supported Bush, and 42 percent favored Kerry.
“Young people represent the largest independent demographic in the nation,” said Adam Alexander, spokesman for the New Voters Project, one of about a dozen non-partisan independent organizations that work to encourage young people to vote.
“The candidate who wins will be the candidate who has communicated more effectively with young voters,” Alexander said.
The issues that concern young voters the most are jobs and the economy, national security and the war in Iraq, according to those who pay attention to the youth vote..
“Young people are really following the debates to make up their minds,” Alexander said. “That indicates they are looking for substance.” He said 25 percent of young voters are undecided about their vote, compared to 8 percent of those over 65.
As Nov. 2 nears, campus organizations are working to boost turnout at the polls. “We are planning some big things for the lead-up to the election,” said Matt Scafidi, a 22-year-old University of Pennsylvania student working for the Rock the Vote campaign.
Scafidi mentioned a mock presidential debate with representatives from both parties in the coming days, makeshift ballots in all college houses “for those who have never seen a ballot box,” and outdoor Election Day events that will include free food.
“It’s really important to let young voters know about the identification requirements and where the polling places are,” he said.
The newfound political appetite of students still has to face the Election Day test. At Penn there is one polling site, at the east end of the seven-block campus. This has set off a debate between the school’s Democrats and Republicans, who initially started working together to obtain additional polling sites by petitioning the city election commissioner. Now the Penn Democrats are alone in their quest, with the Republicans alleging more polling sites could cause confusion and make way for voter fraud.
Carol Defries, executive director of the university’s office of government, community and public affairs, said the university decided to cease supporting students in their petition for fear of appearing partisan.
“Voting in the United States in 2004 is still subject to a dizzying hodgepodge of local and state regulation that can be difficult to navigate, especially for the first time,” wrote Jane Eisner, a Philadelphia Inquirer columnist and youth vote pundit, recently.
A June poll about Election Day laws by CIRCLE found that states that have extended polling hours and that mail voter information saw higher voter turnout rates among the young in recent elections.
In spite of possible overcrowding at the University of Pennsylvania polling place, campaigners expect registered students to vote. “Registration has not been a tough sell at all,” said Rich Eisenberg, head of Penn Democrats. “Students are well motivated this semester.”
Both the Kerry and Bush campaigns are seizing on the opportunity to attract young voters, on and off campus. Adam Alexander of the New Voters Project said the College Republican National Committee raised $7 million and the Democratic Party recently spent $8 million on ads targeted at young voters.
“Politicians traditionally removed young voters from their lists,” Alexander said. “This turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy.” But in this election, he said, “it is impossible for any young American to say that their vote doesn’t count.”
The number of young people in the nation has grown in recent years, reaching more than 40 million, and is expected to continue to do so.
“I cannot understand when I hear someone say that they are not interested in politics, ” Scafidi said. “If you care about any issue then you have an interest in politics.”
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