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TEEN VOTERS – AN UNTAPPED RESOURCE
By Amanda Shi
Since the 2004 presidential election, politicians and political parties are finally noticing an untapped resource that could aid their victories: the youth vote. Georgetown University journalism students recently conducted an informal survey showing that 72 percent of youth between 18 and 25 plans to vote in the 2008 election.
“Anyone who can vote should vote because how else are they going to stand up for what they believe in the most influential way?” says Juliet Dillard, a 20-year-old college student.
“Politics are important to me, and so many people fought so hard for our right to vote, yet very few people do,” agreed Megan Fowler, 17. “That's so sad to me, and we should exercise this precious right that people in other countries don't have. It's a waste for people not to vote.”
The Democrats appear to hold the favor of the current youth. “The new group coming out is very largely Democratic,” George Stephanopoulos, ABC news commentator, recently told viewers.
The same Georgetown University survey confirmed Stephanopoulos’ statement. About 51 percent of those interviewed said they were Democrats; only 25 percent said they were Republican.
Mary McClelland, National Field Director from Young Voter Strategies, had this to say to Republican leaders: “You guys have got to get on the ball here because if you lose this generation, you are not going to be the party in power for the next 30 years.”
History proves McClelland is correct. Cokie Roberts pointed out during ABC’s This Week roundtable on July 29th that “all the people who were 18 to 29 under Reagan are Republican now.” The other roundtable commentators later agreed that the youth of this country may very well decide the outcome of a political race.
Connecticut Congressman Joe Courtney understands this well. Courtney was the Democratic nominee during the 2006 congressional race. Unlike his opponent Rob Simmons, Courtney focused most of his energy on visiting college campuses and local teen hangouts. In the end, Courtney won. Today, he stands as a strong voice that emphasizes the importance of the youth vote saying that “it elected me.”
Though Democrats appear to have an edge among the youth demographic compared to Republicans, they’ll need to work extra hard to raise interest on college campuses. College Republicans have become such a strong force in the presidential arena that when they hold conventions in DC, high officials like the president make time to attend.
This season both Democrats and Republicans are utilizing social networking tools such as Youtube and Myspace to stimulate support from the younger crowd. Just recently, Hillary Clinton made a video spoof of the Sopranos that appealed to the college demographic. Recent videos such as “Obama Girl” and “Hillary Girl” have been spreading over the web like a virus, further arousing awareness and intrigue among teenagers.
More teens also may be intrigued by the 2008 campaign because a black man and a white woman are contenders, according to Sue Davis, a reporter from Roll Call.
Youth have recently become so influential in politics that the 2004 presidential election race became known as the year of the youth vote, commented Mary McClelland. In 2004, for example, the number of 18-24- year-olds voting increased by 11 percentage points, which was nearly three times the increase of the general electorate.
McClelland notes that, “phones [were] ringing off the hook” at the Young Voter Strategies headquarters the day after the 2004 election, demonstrating that campaigns are finally paying attention to the youth vote.
According to McClelland, never before has the youth vote been talked about so early in the election process as it has in the past few months. She also noted that on the first day of Congress in 2007, the representatives discussed the issue of higher education, which is unprecedented.
So what can politicians and citizens do to make sure young people vote? McClelland thinks that the youth need to be better educated about topics such as healthcare, foreign policies, and domestic policies more. “You can never win them all,” says McClelland, “but you can engage them on the issues.”
“Teens need to break out of their bubbles and become passionate about the issues,” says 17-year-old Chris Ewing, “while candidates need to realize that the next generation of voters is changing the political landscape, and should adjust accordingly.”
According to the Georgetown University survey, 80 percent of students polled say they have not been contacted by a political campaign. Possibly in response to the lack of interest among politicians, some students have taken on the task of educating their peers. In Minnesota, a college junior tried to educate classmates about the student debt issue by creating a giant “Student Debt Rock.” Pictures were taken of students being crushed by this debt rock. As a result, record numbers of students went out to vote that year.
Another suggestion from college students is to make the voting process less of a hassle. Currently, voters in many states must register to vote 14 to 40 days prior to Election Day. If a youth is not committed to voting, then they might put off registering or forget to do it altogether. Mary Fitzgerald, a James Madison University professor, has said that “young people are substantially more likely to vote if they are able to register to vote on Election Day.” Minnesota has a unique way to help teens vote. Its voter registration policy automatically registers someone when they register for a driver’s license.
Organizations like Rock the Vote also strive to make the voting registration process more convenient. The Rock the Vote website allows viewers to fill out a voting registration form online, print it, and mail it. Mary McClelland explains that though it would be even better to just click “submit” and be instantly registered, people are so afraid of voting fraud these days that state election officials won’t simplify the process.
Voting is the basis for Democracy. All people who can vote should participate in the chance to make their voices heard in this country. As McClelland put it: “If we don’t get our voting rates up we will be losing a lot of power and chances to change the way this country is run, from whatever way your political persuasion is.”
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