Project Vote’s Michael Slater was recently quoted in Tampa publication, Creative Loafing on the state of youth voting in the United States.
“When they talk about youth vote, it is code for college kids,” Project Vote’s Slater said. “The real challenge is: Will we see anyone go beyond the college voters to the other half of young voters? How do we find issues that appeal to them beyond those on the campus?”
That demographic includes more young voters of color and in lower economic ranges, groups that are already horribly underrepresented at the polls.
“The other half aren’t touched by the campaigns as effectively,” Slater said. “When you leave campuses, you lose some of the intensity that drives participation.”
Project Vote recently released a research memo on the demographic make-up of youth voters in the U.S.
The article mentions Project Vote’s goal to register 1.2 million low income, minority, and young citizens in time for the 2008 general election in November, “[h]alf of those will be young voters. In Florida, where ACORN does Project Vote’s work, that will equate to 60,000-100,000 possible new voters.”
“Every sign indicates this is going to be a big, big election,” Slater said. “I think we may have a real opportunity to expand the electorate to include people who haven’t participated or who haven’t been engaged in the process.”
Project Vote is currently more than halfway towards its goal with 615,000 voters registered as of June 1, 2008.