A trend that began in 2004 is accelerating in early 2008: Young people are checking back in to politics.
Until recently, the numbers of college-age Americans who registered and voted were declining with each new election. In 2004, however, young voters bucked the trend, catching many political observers by surprise.
The Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project played a role, helping to register more than half a million voters between the ages of 18 and 24. Perhaps as a result, in 2008 the leading presidential candidates have paid much closer attention to young voters and their concerns, spurred on in part by our New Voters Project and their “What’s Your Plan?” effort.
At campaign stops and rallies throughout the presidential primaries and caucuses, organizers and volunteers with the New Voters Project have asked the candidates for their plans to stop global warming, make a college education affordable, provide affordable, effective health care and address financial security for all Americans.
A Peer-To-Peer Effort
Based on what the New Voters team learned through their efforts in 2004 and 2006, the organizers and volunteers have focused heavily on peer-to-peer outreach. In fact, this strategy has proven far more successful than celebrity-driven public service announcements or other high-priced marketing campaigns.
Through Rock the Caucus, one of our joint outreach efforts with Rock the Vote and the Iowa Secretary of State Michael A. Mauro, Iowa PIRG mobilized 250 students to recruit 20 peers each to pledge to caucus. On the eve of Super Tuesday, organizers sent 20,000 “remember to vote” text messages with the help of Credo Mobile and the One Campaign. On campuses across the country, students organized classroom announcements and creative events such as debate tailgates to ensure high youth turnout on Election Day.
“The hard work paid off. Seeing young people at candidate events and at the polls, candidates began to recognize our work and engage young people like never before,” said Sujatha Jahagirdar, the program director of the New Voters Project.
Our work also caught the attention of the media. New Voters Project student leaders and staff appeared on CNN, the CBS Evening News, NBC’s Today Show, Fox News, and in The New York Times and USA Today.
Thanks in part to our efforts, young voter rates rose dramatically during the primary season. Young voter turnout tripled in Iowa and doubled in New Hampshire. The momentum from those first two contests continued into Super Tuesday, when the youth vote doubled in Massachusetts, tripled in Oklahoma and quadrupled in Tennessee.
