Democrats, Republicans Vie for Young American Voters

With the November election fast approaching, and some states in early-voting processes, both Republicans and Democrats are fighting for the youth vote. With the message of "change" that has become so popular with this election, both parties seem eager to change one election trend: the low numbers of young voters.
Young voters historically make up the lowest number of voting citizens in elections. Whether they believe their vote won't make a difference or are simply indifferent has been speculated upon for years. However, with the historical election of this November, no one is focused on the question of why young voters don't vote. Instead, the question has become how to get these voters to "rock their vote" in this election.

According to a recent article from Voice of America (VOA), young voters have, in recent decades, voted "well below their 17 percent share of the U.S. population." Explanations for the trend vary. Some account the voting number of young Americans to indifference and apathy. Others point out that presidential candidates rarely seem to speak directly to young voters. Whether it's their apathy or the political parties' ignoring of this group of voters, the fact still remains that young Americans rarely turn out en masse to the polls.

However, it is predicted that this year the trend will change.

A September poll from Rock the Vote showed that young voters ages 18-29 are "increasingly engaging in the upcoming presidential election." According to the poll, 87% of young voters plan to vote in November. 88% of those surveyed said they believe that, as a group, young people can change the United States.

The higher numbers of young Americans planning on voting in the upcoming election has sparked a new eagerness among both major political parties to rally the youth vote to their side. According to the same Rock the Vote poll, almost 70% of young voters have thrown their support behind Barack Obama. A recent article from the Indianapolis Star "[checked] the pulse" of America's young voters in Ohio, which is perhaps the most important of the battleground states. In the article, Jerry Austin (the premier Democratic political consultant in Ohio) stated that young voters are leaning Democrat because they represent, in typical politics, what Senator Barack Obama's campaign slogan promotes: Change.

"Voters eighteen to twenty-five are less racist, less sexist, less homophobic, and less partisan than any other age group," Austin said. "Most of them were involved this year for the first time, and the candidate they backed won the nomination."

Even celebrities are getting in on the hoopla. A recent open letter to young Americans by musical moguls Sean "Diddy" Combs, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Mary J. Blige, and Kevin Liles was delivered through Allhiphop.com. The letter's opening follows:

"WE ARE IN A STATE OF EMERGENCY!!! YOU MUST REGISTER TO VOTE BY MONDAY OCTOBER 6, 2008!!!!! We are only 31 days from the most important election of our lifetime. MONDAY OCTOBER 6, 2008 IS THE DEADLINE. We are at war, banks are closing, people are losing their jobs and houses every day. It is our responsibility to protect our futures. Time is running out."

That young voters seem to have thrown much of their weight behind Senator Obama could be bad news for Senator McCain and his campaign. While some young voters have taken the time to examine the issues behind the campaign, McCain has the issue of young voter ageism working against him. More than once in overheard conversations among young Americans, the phrase "He's too old" has arisen. McCain's admission that he doesn't use a computer also scored a strike against him in the eyes of a generation perpetually plugged into technology; a counterstrike from Senator Obama, whose website, email, and text message campaign took young voters by storm, also spells bad news for Senator McCain. Republicans have, therefore, fought very hard to show young Americans the seasoned experience of Senator McCain as more important than age or Apple-savvy.

The fact that young Americans have seemingly shown overwhelming support for Senator Obama does not mean that Democrats have eased up on their population, however. Party members and campaing volunteers and officials alike recognize that though young voters have been supportive thus far, the fight isn't over. All the verbal support, buttons, and bumper stickers in the world mean nothing if young voters don't show up at the polls. Campaing officials continue to vie for young voters' attentions, urging them to "rock the vote" by showing up at the polls this November.

Sources: Chris Simkins, "Young Voters Divided Over Whether They Will Vote in U.S. Presidential Election", Voice of America (voanews.com)

Stephanie Young, "New Rock the Vote Poll: Young Voters' Election Energy Intensifies", Rock the Vote (rockthevote.com)

Ken Bode, "Checking the Pulse of Young American Voters", Indianapolis Star (IndyStar.com)

Allhiphop.com, "A Letter to Young America", Allhiphop.com