How about that youth vote?

[cbc5g]

I'll be going back to college and will be getting an absentee ballot but I'm betting others my age going back to college won't. Why? Because it's not something that's on their mind when all nighters, tests, sex and drugs start coming around. That's probably why the youth vote is so slack every 4 years. Because the election happens to be on November 4th smack dab in the middle of college. Instead of a quick drive to the voting booth like most, we have to mail in for an absentee ballot, wait for the ballot, fill out the ballot, and mail it in again. It doesn't sound like much, but it is when you are a college student with other things on your mind besides your one vote. It's too bad they don't make it easier or have the election on a day when most people are at home in their own districts. That's why I'm not trusting the Gallup poll as much as Rasmussen. While we may get a bigger youth vote this year, it won't be much better than past years. Thoughts?

[Tunkamerica]

1. I voted in my college town

i think it varies by state.

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

2. When I was in college I voted where I lived

near campus - has it changed since then?

[dorktv]

3. The numbers for the last few elections belie your assertion.

Not only that but the youth vote is going Democratic in a massive way:

http://www.civicyouth.org/quick/youth_voting.htm

http://www.civicyouth.org/PopUps/FactSheets/FS-Midterm06.pdf

Double digit increases, more than any other age group shows that you are dead wrong.

Our voices will be heard.

[glowing]

4. Unfortunately, this is true.. but you can make a difference and try and

get everyone to do this that you can... I did, and the prevailing thought was why? Amongst supposed intellects.. Yeah, right!! We'll see. Perhaps, people will be a bit more motivated this year.. some of you should know, a job depends on your vote right now.. Take it from an alumni of 2001, we need a change. It isn't pretty coming out with the world ahead of you, to find so many slammed doors. Remember that the most.. a job depends on your vote.

[dorktv]

5. How is it true? It is NOT true. In 2004 turnout for young people increased by 11%!

And this year we have had record numbers vote in the primaries. MOST of which were duing school time. So why would anyone think that it suddenly will change?

[glowing]

6. It may be true.. in my time, it wasn't.. so, I'll be happy if the numbers are

there... but 8yrs change a lot of people.. and 8yrs don't seem to change anyone.. and I know way too many who don't care.

[SoCalDem]

8. One can rack up a lot of college debt in 8 yrs.. lifelong debt

I;m guessing that most college kids are not as carefree as we'd like to think ..

In MY day, living at the dorm, no one I knew "worked"..and we did "party like it was 1999"....all the time :)

[glowing]

9. I worked full time, maintained an apt, maintained good grades, racked up student

loans, and partied as well.. It was fun living in the kinda world..

[SoCalDem]

10. Back when I went, "girls" HAD to live in dorms, and

we had 11PM curfew Sun-Fri and midnight on Sat..
"Girls" could not live off campus until they were juniors

[glowing]

12. Well, I lived on campus for 2 years, then had my own apt... which was

10 times more comfortable, convenient, and cheaper.

[dorktv]

13. It is true. Peer to peer networking, constant formation of newer groups

fundraising, everything that can be done is being done.

The YDA and College Ds have a lot to be proud of because long before there was a Senator Obama there was the efforts of people like Chris Galloway to increase youth vote turn out. With spectacular results.

[book_worm]

7. I'm so proud of the youth of today. I recently read that in '84 the 18-29 y.o. voted Reagan

by a bigger margin than any other age group, so a huge swing.

[marlakay]

11. I agree they can't take the youth for granted

that like Obama. There needs to be a big push. There was a huge one for kerry and still many many did not vote. We need to have any even bigger one this time.

[Capn Sunshine]

14. Thank God our campaign's registration efforts are only about 25% youths

Because there's always an excuse when you're young-- they don't realize that their "only one vote" is multiplied by miilions. Our figuring includes the young, but at a 25% turnnout rate.And tha's overly optimistic, I told them.

[Dark]

15. The reason the youth vote wasn't big was because it was a different generation

with apathetic values. The current gen is very world and service focused.

[Skittles]

16. with all due respect, cbc5g

a lot of us old fucks are very, very busy too - we MAKE the time

[Skidmore]

17. Why don't you have a party when you get back to school?

A GOTV party and help people who need to get their absentee ballots do just that. You could have fun and make certain that the youth vote turns out. Multi-task. That's what the big bucks education is about. Learning to multi-task and be effective about it. Go for it!