Youth Vote-- Will They?

I sat talking politics with a friend last night and he was certain that all the excitement among young adults about politics (mainly following Obama) would all fizzle in the end. “They talk a good game but they don’t get off their duffs and vote,” he said.

A couple of recent studies by CIRCLE, a research group studying civic participation, might signal a shift.

In the mid-term elections in 2006, turnout among 18-29-year-olds increased for the second major election in a row, growing to approximately 24 percent, up at least 2 points over 2002 levels,

“Young people led the way in this election. While voter turnout overall grew only slightly, youth turnout rose substantially,” said Peter Levine, director of CIRCLE. “Young voters have witnessed the largest increase in support of Democratic congressional candidates since 2000—nine percentage points. Their shift in voting behavior and their increased turnout clearly had an effect on the 2006 election results.” [go here for the full report]

In another study by CIRCLE, college students are apparently “hungry for political conversation that is authentic, involves diverse views and is free of manipulation and ‘spin,’” The report follows up on a 1993 study published that found students considered politics “irrelevant” to their lives and they saw little purpose in actively participating in politics.

So, what do you think. Will young adults vote?