For more information: Ellynne Bannon, 202-458-7635, ebannon@studentpirgs.org
Youth Turnout
in Iowa More
Than Triples, Youth Decide Caucus Winners
The
Youth Vote in New Hampshire
and Beyond
According to a new
analysis youth turnout in Iowa
(17-29 year olds) more than tripled over 2004, with 65,000 young people turning
out to caucus. The youth vote also decided the caucus winners. Fifty-seven
percent of youth voted for Democratic winner Barack Obama, while 40 percent
voted for Republican winner Mike Huckabee. Iowa
PIRG students were critical in boosting the youth vote, personally
contacting and turning out thousands of youth in the final days leading up to
the caucuses.
The youth vote surge
in Iowa continues
the trend from the recent election cycles. In 2004, the youth vote
increase by 4.3 million votes and more young people voted than those over the
age of 65. In 2006,
the youth vote increase by 2 million votes, almost twice the increase of the
overall electorate.
Looking
to New Hampshire,
and Beyond
1. The youth vote continues to post big
increases. In 2004, the youth vote in New Hampshire was the highest in more than a
decade, and at 58 percent voter turnout, it was up 12 points over 2000
turnout.
2. Recent surges in youth voting
aren’t a fluke.
Research
and practice show that non-partisan (i.e. Student PIRGs) personalized, peer to
peer youth voter outreach turns out young voters. Young people contacted by the
Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project in 2004 were 13% more likely to turn out to
the polls on Election Day, than a group of demographically similar individuals
who also registered to vote within six months of the election. We also know
that when candidates reach out to, and target young voters – often and on the
issues that youth care most about – that they turn out in bigger numbers.
3. Young people are
engaged. As part of the Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project What’s Your Plan? campaign hundreds
of students across the country have hit the campaign trail to ask all of the
candidates what their plans are on key youth issues, such as global warming and
college affordability. So far, nearly 400 students have had more than 100 face
to face conversations - across the country - with all of the candidates to ask
them: What’s Your Plan? And the
candidates recognize us, calling on us at events and highlighting our work.
4. The youth vote
matters, especially if the races are close.
The Iowa caucuses demonstrated how critical the
youth vote is - Democratic winner Barack Obama attributed his victory to the
youth vote. New Hampshire
has approximately 172,000 18-29 year olds who are eligible to vote. With the
contests so close, every vote – including the youth vote- will make a
difference.
The Student PIRGs
are independent state-based student
organizations that work to solve public interest problems related to the
environment, consumer protection, and government reform.
The Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project
is the nation’s largest voter mobilization program. Since 2004, we have registered more than
600,000 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% in 2004 and
an analysis of our work in 2006 found that in the student dense precincts in
which we worked, the youth vote increased on average by 157%,
