Washington, DC: Young voter turnout surged by at least 2.2 million
votes over 2004 levels this election, according to new data released by
the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and
Engagement.
“Across the country, the excitement on college campuses this
election cycle was palpable,” said Sujatha Jahagirdar, Program Director
with the Student PIRGs New Voters Project. “That enthusiasm spilled
into the ballot box this year.”
For the first time in twenty years, young voter share of the
electorate also surpassed that of voters over 65, with young people
making up 18 percent of the electorate and those over 65 making up 16
percent.
Several factors—from increased attention paid to young voters by
candidates to the proliferation of technology in the lives of young
voters to a rise in civic engagement among young people—contributed
to this surge.
This year’s youth turnout marks the third significant increase in
turnout in as many election cycles. In 2004, turnout rates increased
among young voters by 11 percent, nearly three times the rate of the
general population. In 2006, youth turnout increased by two million
votes, while general turnout increased only slightly.
Young voter outreach efforts employed an array of tactics to
mobilize young voters to the polls. On 100 campuses in 17 states, the
Student PIRGs' New Voters Project combined old-fashioned pavement
pounding with technology to reach the wired world of the young voter.
Students on campuses across the country stormed dorms, invaded
classrooms and even staged guerrilla theater performances to urge young
voters to the polls. They also employed a cadre of tech tools—from
Facebook to ‘text out the vote’ tables to urge their friends to the
polls.
“The primary lesson of this election is that when you pay attention
to young people, they will turn out on Election Day,” concluded
Jahagirdar.
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The Student PIRGs' New Voters Project is the nation’s largest youth
voter mobilization program. Since 2004, we have registered more than
700,000 young people and made more than 650,000 peer to peer voter
turnout contacts to get young people to the polls on Election Day. Due
in large part to our efforts, the youth vote increased by 4.3 million
votes, or 9 percent in 2004 and an analysis of our work in 2006 found that in
the student dense precincts in which we worked with our allies, youth
voter turnout increased on average by 157 percent.
