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Young
Voters: Untapped Potential for Candidates |
Posted:
02.11.04
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With the primary season underway, candidates are reaching out
to the voters they think will most likely show up at the polls.
Young voters, often not high on this list, have been an untapped
resource for years.
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It has been 32 years since 18-year-olds were granted the right
to vote by President Richard Nixon who signed a law that  lowered
the voting age from 21 to 18. During the Vietnam War, when many
18-year-olds were being sent to fight, people argued that a citizen
old enough to serve in the military should be able to elect their
own president.
However, since that first election in 1972, the voting rate for
the 18-to-24-year-olds has declined by 15 percent, according to
the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and
Engagement. Overall voting declined 4 percent during the same
time period.
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Cycle of
neglect |
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Experts have attributed this decline to several factors. One
of which is a "cycle of mutual neglect," according to
Ivan Frishberg at the New Voters Project, a grassroots youth voter
mobilization campaign. Candidates don't speak directly to young
people, and as a result young people don't think their vote matters.
A study recently concluded at the Harvard Institute of Politics
supports Frishberg's claim. Out of the nearly 1,200 students surveyed,
two-thirds said they were likely to participate in a political
rally if asked by a friend, and half said they would volunteer
if asked. The study suggested that there is a potential for 9
million campaign volunteers and voters to become politically engaged,
if targeted.
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Inspired
young people |
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What does this mean for candidates who want to appeal to young
voters? Former Gov. Howard Dean has targeted younger voters, who
have in turn responded with a campaign known as Generation Dean.
Michael Whitney, a 19-year-old college student, founded the organization
after listening to Dean speak.
"Many young people don't vote, because in the past they
have felt as though politicians don't speak to them," Whitney
said. "But Howard Dean offers young people a chance to get
involved."
 Howard
Dean is not the only candidate reaching out to young voters. Students
have joined other candidates' campaigns, despite their busy schedules.
"My life is hectic between volunteering for a campaign,
doing karate and studying for mid-terms. But when you believe
in a candidate as much as I do, regardless of age, it is important
to do your absolute best to get his message to as many people
as possible. That is why I am a youth involved in politics,"
explained 17-year-old Katie Bickert, a volunteer for Rep. Dennis
Kucinich, D-Ohio, and a student at Concord High School in New
Hampshire.
Another student at Concord High School shares her peer's devotion
and enthusiasm for the election -- just for a different candidate
-- Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.
"It's incredible what we can do when everyone works together.
This experience has made me more aware of what is going on in
the country and our world, as well as inspiring me to want to
become more involved in the political process," Kerry volunteer
and Concord High School senior Emily Gilbert said.
"Who knows, maybe one day you'll see yard signs and bumper
stickers reading 'Emily Gilbert for President.'"
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Back to the
basics of voting |
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Another reason for low voter participation could be that many
students do not understand the voting process, according to Elizabeth
Addonzio, who is conducting research at Yale University.
"This is an official process and can be very intimidating
and just like anything that we do and you're not exposed to something
and you may feel apprehensive or nervous about it," Addonzio
said.
 To
test this theory, Addonzio went to high school senior classrooms
to explain the process. She brought a voting machine, explained
how to use it, showed how to register to vote and explained why
voting is important, using the last presidential election as an
example of a close race.
Addonzio found that 25 percent of the students she spoke to about
voting turned out to vote, while only 11 percent of a similar
control group that she didn't speak to turned out to vote.
--
Sheryl Silverman, Online NewsHour
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American schools and financial aid should be only for legal citizens of the United States. There should be no exceptions to this.
