Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/youth-voters-take-active-role-but-turnout-is-uncertain Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript While record numbers of young and first-time voters are engaged in the political process this year, questions remain as to how strong their turnout will be at the polls. Kwame Holman reports on the youth vote in Virginia and how it reflects national trends. Read the Full Transcript Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. KWAME HOLMAN: Democrat Barack Obama continues to lead in the polls in the battleground state of Virginia and has said, if he wins it, he'll win the presidency.On Tuesday, his ninth campaign trip to the state, took him to the campus of James Madison University in Virginia's conservative central region. He talked about being inspired by young voters.SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), Illinois: In this campaign, I've had the privilege of witnessing what's best in America. I've seen it in lines of voters that stretched around schools and churches. I've seen it in all the young people who've cast a vote for the first time. And those… KWAME HOLMAN: Young people seem to be plentiful at every Obama rally. We talked to some before Obama spoke in Leesburg, Virginia, last week. Lauren Masterson is 24. LAUREN MASTERSON: We see ourselves in him, I think. Even though he is of another generation, people are excited about him because he seems to understand young people. KWAME HOLMAN: Brianna Davenport is 18. BRIANNA DAVENPORT: So I think that Barack, you know, like his plans and his goals, I actually think that they will make a difference. KWAME HOLMAN: And 23-year-old Evan Loudenback talked about the Iraq war and Obama. EVAN LOUDENBACK: … that he's always opposed the war, where McCain's, you know, he's — pardon me — McCain has gone with the war, voted with it. So that definitely strikes a chord.GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), Alaska: It's good to be here with you today, Virginia. Thank you. KWAME HOLMAN: When Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin came to central Virginia on Monday, young supporters, such as 20-year-old Trevor Muhler, talked excitedly about John McCain. TREVOR MUHLER: More people I know are voting than I've known before. Most of my friends now are 18, 20, 22, and they're actually all going out to vote. KWAME HOLMAN: Cara Snodgrass is 23. CARA SNODGRASS: But, unfortunately, too many people in the younger generation like young, and enthusiastic, and playing basketball. They won't take the time to sit down and look at the issues.And, unfortunately, I think the — my wayward friends tend to see Obama as this great change, and he talks about change, but he has yet to tell me or anyone else in my circle of friends what that change is going to dictate. KWAME HOLMAN: Twenty-year-old Katie Swartz also sounds energized by McCain and Palin. KATIE SWARTZ: I'm a huge, huge person for pro-life. I've always believed in it, and I really like their stand on that.