Primary coverage: election 2008 | As Super Tuesday approaches, young voters show an increased turn out in the polls, resulting in a new age of elections
By Stephanie Musat
Posted: 1/28/08, 10:56 PM EST Section: News
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So far in the 2008 election season, voters between the ages of 18 and 24 have already made their presence known in the polls.
In the New Hampshire primary Jan. 8, 18 percent of voters were between the ages of 18 and 29, up from 14 percent in 2004. The youth vote in the Iowa caucus Jan. 3 increased 5 percent from 2004 to 22 percent in 2008.
Since young voters are hitting the polls in record numbers, more so than in any previous election, youths are expected to continue to let their voices be heard Super Tuesday on Feb. 5 when 22 states will have their primary elections.
After declining for three decades, the youth voter turnout has increased starting from 2004. In 2004, 4.3 million more voters younger than age 30 cast ballots than had in 2000. In 2004, the 18 to 29-year-old vote became a valuable demographic for candidates, starting a trend in campaigns in which specific attention is placed on younger voters. The trend of the previous primaries suggests the number of youth voters in this election will drastically surpass the numbers from 2004.
Though the exact reason for the surge cannot be pinpointed to a sole factor, active political authorities accredit the younger presence in the polls to the idea that the issues at stake are being brought directly to them in their everyday lives.
In the past few years, mainstream media corporations such as YouTube and MTV, and more recently, online sites like Facebook have initiated campaigns aimed at increasing political activity among youth. Companies like AT&T are now offering campaign coverage updates to be texted to cell phones.
"The other piece of this election is that there is now Facebook and MySpace to reach individuals where they are, which is something that has changed since the last election," said Chrissy Faessen, media liaison for Rock the Vote,
Rock the Vote is a non-profit organization aimed at increasing youth voter turnout by engaging the younger voters in the campaign process. It hires names and uses trends in popular culture to reach out to the youngest voters to encourage that all people take advantage of their right to vote.
"Young people are making a huge difference," Faessen said. "Just look at Iowa, New Hampshire and (Saturday) in South Carolina. Young people came out in record numbers, and it's because they are engaged in the election and want to make their voices heard."
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