Young voters will have their say in this election

[dajoki]

Shift in political climate attracts young voters
2006 may see highest turnout of young people in a midterm election

By Elizabeth Chuck
Reporter
MSNBC
Updated: 3:57 p.m. ET Nov 3, 2006
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15504373/


More young voters than ever plan on going to the polls this year, and it’s because of the war in Iraq, many say.

“Most of the people who are out there fighting are probably around the same age I am,” said Emily Tyra, 18, of Minneapolis, Minn. “Having older people make the decision to send young people out to fight for what they believe in instead of what the younger generation believes in is very frustrating.”

Tyra is not alone in wanting her opinion heard. In a Harvard poll published on Wednesday, 32 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds said they will “definitely” vote on Nov. 7. That would be the highest youth turnout for a midterm election since the national voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 in 1971.

Besides the war, the government’s response to disasters like the Sept. 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina is driving young voters to the polls, experts say.

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Jane Fleming, executive director of the Young Democrats of America, said that about 41 percent of young voters identify themselves as Democrats, up from many years of three-way parity among Republicans, Democrats and independents.

“This is the first time that the majority of young people are Democrats,” Fleming said of polls of 18- to 35-year-olds. “It’s a really great turnaround for us; 9/11 helped with that, and Katrina was a wakeup call.”
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Viet-Nam was the wake up call for many of us "Boomers" back in those days, maybe Iraq will do the same thing for the new young voters. My twenty-something daughters have been politically savy for some time now(thanks to constant reminding by Dad). The point is, it takes no more reminding, they are hard core Dems and can figure the issues for themselves. I am very proud of my girls!!