Young Voters Are Reshaping The Political Map And Politicians Are Listening

After the results from Iowa and New Hampshire, we can safely say: discount young voters at your own risk in 2008.

This year, with the choice between Democratic candidates who are offering change and Republicans who would bring a third Bush term, young people are turning out for Democrats in record numbers.

College Democrats in the nation's first two contests can tell you that the excitement was real and that voter turnout on college campuses reflected that energy. According to CIRCLE (Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement), 19% of New Hampshire voters were young people - up 42% from 2004. That's 84,000 votes - a majority of them for Democrats.

In Iowa, young voters were 22% of all caucus goers, up from 17% in 2004 and matching the number of seniors who participated. And their support for Democrats was overwhelming: of the young people who caucused in Iowa, 80% of them supported Democrats.

Anyone who has been working on youth organizing knew this already. We've consistently seen youth turnout for Democrats increase in the past two elections, but the results in Iowa and New Hampshire show that we are well on our way to unprecedented numbers in 2008.

When I was at Grinnell College in Iowa last week, I got the chance to witness one of the largest caucuses in the state with 484 people, the overwhelming majority being students. Classes hadn't started yet, but the school opened its gym for students to stay in overnight so that they could participate in the caucus. When the time came to pick a corner of the gym, there wasn't enough room due to the unbelievable student turnout. Some caucus goers had to move across the hall into an auditorium.

Yesterday in Hanover, New Hampshire we saw similar results. Home to Dartmouth College, the only college in session in the state, students received a lot of attention from politicians their first week back from break. After the resounding increase in youth turnout in the Iowa caucus, the candidates made sure to stop by and court all 5,750 students on campus.

Polling sites in Hanover started with 2,000 new voter registration forms and ran out by the afternoon. Vote Clamantis, the nonpartisan GOTV group at Dartmouth, estimated that 75% of eligible student voters turned out to the polls.

Though the official youth numbers from the town of Hanover aren't out yet, it appears that in New Hampshire, just as in Iowa, students turned out in record numbers. Doubted for years by pundits and political strategists alike, the power of the youth vote has been the story of this primary season.

Young people have demonstrated yet again that we are a powerful voting bloc in America and are making our voices heard. And we're gravitating towards the Democratic candidates because they're talking about the issues that matter to us, like college affordability, ending the Iraq War, and global warming.

This is good news for America. Young people are not just taking the baton from the generation before them, but actively engaging and willing to work to leave our next generation a stronger America and a better world than the one we're inheriting.

Comments

[Shortyfuse]

I see that some have fallen into the Republican trap of divide and conquer.
I am always to see the young out making a difference. It is their future not the elderly and so they should be the more active. Not unlike the Boomers that demanded alternate eneregy, no unnecessary foreign wars, "Zero Population growth", race equality, womens rights, Peace Corp,honesty in politics,voting rights, down with Jim Crowe,IN OTHER WORDS A REAL REVOLUTION. The Corporation Juggernaut won when they helped to drop oil to $15 dollars a barrel and helped put George Bush Sr. in office.
I realize that you have a lot to contend with these days. World overpopulation, global warming, outsourcing, etc. SO SHAKE A LEG , IT IS YOUR FUTURE. AND PLEASE START WITH THE WTO.

[Purple Girl]

I am so glad the younger generation is getting out to vote. But don't assume it is all the 20 somethings pushing back- their Moms & Dads are probably in step with them too.
Those of US in our 40's are pissed too.
Disregarding the geezers Running, those Boomers leave much to be desired.
I'm the Generation between the Boomers & the X ers. The one once called the ME Generation.LOL.
"Me Generation"...
Who will have to carry the majority of burden for the current economic situation ME, Who is strugling to make ends meet with decreasing health benefits, "lost ' Pensions, poss no SS or Medicare, Helping care for their aging parents now- and their aging siblings later. who is stuck in the Cluster Fuck the Boomers have happily helped push US forward into? Who are still Liberal Democrats, progressives, still hold th ehopes and dreams we had in th eearly '70s for ourselves an dour country?- Lil' Sis & Bro.Nice going Assholes!

[researcher]

it matters not who gets involved. in a capitalist society and government those with the wealth make the rules.

americans will only wake up to that reality after several decades of fascism.

in a dumbed down society fascism is the only outcome. I have traveled through out the industrialized world and most americans are dumber than dumb.

they have been had by corp america. the trickle down theory trickled up.

those with the wealth control congress so well they cannot even defund the war.

bush knows this and has got all the money he has requested for this war for oil and to line the pockets of the industrial military complex.

ike warned us what was to come. folks it is here. next for us. corporate fascism and those who protest will be called terrorists.

waterboard time in america.

[Spookcatcher]

The vast majority of Americans that want change! The youth vote as other bloggers have pointed out have risen up in the past, the baby boomers were credited as being so active, yet what real purposeful change in government leadership has it brought, or honesty in our economy and marketplace? Activism by any "age"group or even a majoritive party is not a precondition for making the CORRECT change. Special interest groups are all about change, theirs, and that has culminated into K street and lobbyists and the general mass feeling of our nation's people that we all want change. The Obama hope factor is resultant of this universality in feeling and he is neither the cause or the author of it. 2004 was thought to bring it in and Kerry was the benefactor but he wasn't the real or even the first choice because the line up of contenders was so bleak. The country is starving for changes, big changes, before violence appers as the agent for change. Hunger and frustration that brings youth to the polls and more independents is also a sign of a society that is reaching a boiling point. It can be mislead eassiler and can break for leader who turns out to be a Hitler, a leader that may be an honest broker for making the right "changes", for a complete bogus and devastating failure, or any point in between. The recognization of youthful voters is only getting recognized because the arrogant baby boomers also permeate the press. Blinded, theystill look at things as the spoiled egomaniacs they are. The baby boomers political, business, and social arrogance is being swept out. America can be better, stronger, more peaceful, fair, and properous the sooner we move to the next generation of leaders but only if the next choices of leadership and politics are held to real accountability and not "excused" and rationalized away by apathy and a spineless willingness to fight for Democracy when they are on the job and not after they escaped, like our people and our leaders let each other do now..

[Pdubya]

if "politicians" include those that own diebold, then i say you're wrong.

DIEBOLD WINS NEW HAMPSHIRE

OBAMA AND PAUL LOSE

www.blackboxvoting.org

[ljsfolly]

The energy and emotions the young are bringing into this election shows they want to have a future they can survive and thrive in. The ideas and who has brought this all together is refreshing as for so long as I have voted very few of the young have cared. Thhey were not engaged at all in the world or politics. Good to see it. We oldies think more and make decisions less on impulse and more on the fear of another bush so the emotion and energy is helping get people out to vote. I just wish people would decide their candidate on substance and not fear.

[eddiestardust]

Maybe and maybe not.

[Merlin7]

I've been hearing this same message for 35 years -- ever since 1972, when George McGovern got stomped by Tricky Dick because most of my fellow boomers didn't bother to vote.

I'll believe in the youth vote when I see it. So far this year it's almost inconsequential.

[Sundialsvc4]

Good news!

And yet... although it is admirable that "young people" are becoming aware of and beginning to participate in "the political system," I believe that it would be a very serious mistake to too-quickly associate this momentum with any particular political candidate. Nor, indeed, to associate this momentum with the present political system that has launched this oh-so-carefully controlled cadre of "candidates."

In the same way that the media industry is only now "beginning to come to grips with" a world that does NOT involve CD's, DVD's, or (gawd help us...) VHS videotapes ... the present political system truly does need to come to grips with ...

... say ...

... "YouTube."

WHAT IF "the future" was SO radically different from "EVERYTHING that has come before" that NOT ONE(!) fifty-something grey-head actually(!!) "had a clue!"

{Yeah, I know... "aging, it sucks."}

But... what IF?

What IF "they" not only 'participated in' "the system" BUT ...

... by "participating in" that 'system'...

... umm....

"changed it as surely as Thomas Paine did?"

Welcome to the twenty-first century. :-/

[RaderBarbarian]

I wish what you write were true, that young people are truly mobilized and energized this time. So far, though, one election (in Iowa, NOT in New Hampshire) does not a trend make. (The youth vote was quite small in New Hampshire).

Time will tell if young people stay energized or whether, as in the past more than once, they become energized for "one brief shining moment" and then go have a beer at the corner pub instead.

[THORGODOFTHUNDER]

I am so happy to hear that young people are getting involved. It looked bleak not too long ago. The kids are waking up. Hooray !

Now if I could get my son and girlfriend interested. They have a lot to be concerned about.