Spring Break
Youth participation jumps by 1 percent in '08 election
Catherine Couretas
Issue date: 11/14/08 Section: Front Page
The youth presence in this year's presidential election jumped only one percentage point, from 17 to 18 percent, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE).
Youth voter turnout was up to between 52 and 53 percent, and the youth made up 18 percent of the vote, according to data from CIRCLE.
"Everybody voted at a higher rate," said Peter Levine, director of CIRCLE. "It was a big year for everyone else to turn out as well."
Levine said he thought the youth made a good showing, though.
"The youth vote was pretty high in 2004," Levine said. "It's hard to improve that much over it."
Philip Russo, professor of political science at Miami University, agreed there was a great youth voter turnout.
"There's been a decade long trend of increasing young voters," Russo said.
According to data from CIRCLE, youth voter turnout was at 52-53 percent in the 2008 election, compared with 48 percent in the 2004 election.
The numbers were even lower in previous elections. In 2000, the youth voter turnout was 41 percent and in 1996 it was only 37 percent, according to CIRCLE.
"I would say the trend from 37 to 53 (percent) over four cycles is a big deal," Levine said.
However, Levine said gaining each additional percentage point can be difficult.
"It's a long way up from 2000," Levine said. "In order to get higher than in 2004 you have to push pretty hard. Each extra percent is going to be harder to get."
Russo said the political parties themselves, as well as other organizations, are responsible for getting the youth out to vote.
"The parties themselves have been focusing on building their own infrastructure of voters," Russo said. "And there are other things, like Rock the Vote."
Rock the Vote, an organization that's been around for nearly 20 years, uses new technology and pop culture to get the youth interested in voting.
Levine also said voters have become energetic and engaged about voting, with candidates making an extra effort to get youth involved.
Russo said that the efforts to get the youth out to vote made a big difference.
"The younger voters had a substantial impact," Russo said.
He added that the youth had crucial issues on their mind when deciding for whom to vote.
"Young voters had issues like the economy, the future of jobs (and) the global economy on their mind," Russo said. "They're concerned about issues of health care and the transgenerational aspects."
Both Russo and Levine said the youth connected more with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).
"They're closer to Obama on the war and the economy," Levine said. "His campaign was conducted to get young people to vote."
Russo agreed.
"Obama's message connected with the young vote," Russo said. "We know certainly that vote came out."
Youth voter turnout was up to between 52 and 53 percent, and the youth made up 18 percent of the vote, according to data from CIRCLE.
"Everybody voted at a higher rate," said Peter Levine, director of CIRCLE. "It was a big year for everyone else to turn out as well."
Levine said he thought the youth made a good showing, though.
"The youth vote was pretty high in 2004," Levine said. "It's hard to improve that much over it."
Philip Russo, professor of political science at Miami University, agreed there was a great youth voter turnout.
"There's been a decade long trend of increasing young voters," Russo said.
According to data from CIRCLE, youth voter turnout was at 52-53 percent in the 2008 election, compared with 48 percent in the 2004 election.
The numbers were even lower in previous elections. In 2000, the youth voter turnout was 41 percent and in 1996 it was only 37 percent, according to CIRCLE.
"I would say the trend from 37 to 53 (percent) over four cycles is a big deal," Levine said.
However, Levine said gaining each additional percentage point can be difficult.
"It's a long way up from 2000," Levine said. "In order to get higher than in 2004 you have to push pretty hard. Each extra percent is going to be harder to get."
Russo said the political parties themselves, as well as other organizations, are responsible for getting the youth out to vote.
"The parties themselves have been focusing on building their own infrastructure of voters," Russo said. "And there are other things, like Rock the Vote."
Rock the Vote, an organization that's been around for nearly 20 years, uses new technology and pop culture to get the youth interested in voting.
Levine also said voters have become energetic and engaged about voting, with candidates making an extra effort to get youth involved.
Russo said that the efforts to get the youth out to vote made a big difference.
"The younger voters had a substantial impact," Russo said.
He added that the youth had crucial issues on their mind when deciding for whom to vote.
"Young voters had issues like the economy, the future of jobs (and) the global economy on their mind," Russo said. "They're concerned about issues of health care and the transgenerational aspects."
Both Russo and Levine said the youth connected more with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).
"They're closer to Obama on the war and the economy," Levine said. "His campaign was conducted to get young people to vote."
Russo agreed.
"Obama's message connected with the young vote," Russo said. "We know certainly that vote came out."
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posted 11/14/08 @ 8:46 AM EST
"Everybody voted at a higher rate," said Peter Levine, director of CIRCLE. "It was a big year for everyone else to turn out as well."
Since the overall number of voters in the 2008 election (122,842,626) increased less than 1% from the number in the 2004 election ( 122,294,978 ), I think Mr. (Continued…)
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