The Young and Influential: Your Vote Counts

Presidential candidates are now focusing on young voters in the United States because of their influence on past elections. With the 2008 presidential election coming up, young voters have another opportunity to make their voices heard.
Amy Congdon

College students are the key to the future. Their votes and participation in the upcoming 2008 election will not only change their own lives, but will also affect the future of America.

Young Voter Strategies, an organization that promotes young voter presence in the elections, reports that within the past two major elections the participation by young adults has increased. With an estimated 4.3 million votes in 2004 and 10 million votes in 2006, they predict that in this upcoming 2008 election votes from citizens between the ages of 18 and 31 will reach nearly 50 million.

“Candidates are no longer bypassing America’s youth. With the presidency at stake in 2008, mobilizing and winning the support of America’s youth will be vital,” said Brandon Kenig, president for College Republicans at Creighton University.

A Young Approach

College students are influencing the ways candidates communicate with voters.

“Every major 2008 Democratic and Republican candidate has myspace.com and facebook.com profiles. Many of the candidates also have their own interactive blogs with live feeds, video clips, sound bites and interactive forums where students and youth can chat with the candidates one-on-one,” said Kenig.

Heather Smith, Executive Director of Young Voter Strategies, predicts that with the 2006 election being the largest increase in votes yet to be seen by young adults, it will be the party that puts the most resources and time into mobilizing the youth that will see a major payoff in the next election.

By 2015, Young Voter Strategies reports that this generation of adults will be on the track to becoming one-third of the electorate.

How to Get Involved

According to Jason Weiers, President of College Democrats at Creighton, Creighton in the past elections has been responsible for registering students to vote. This past fall, the College Democrats, College Republicans, Department of History and Lieben Center co-hosted a women’s voting rights event along with registered voters as well.

“With the Iowa Caucuses being held in January 2008, there will be much more campaign activity around the Council Bluffs area in the following months,” Weiers said.

“Currently at Creighton, we have ‘Students for Romney’ and ‘Students for Giuliani’ groups operating,” said Kenig. “These groups organize students to fundraise for their particular candidate, attend speeches and help sign up students with the candidate’s official campaign team.”

Voter registration drives will be held sometime in the spring of 2008, in time for Nebraska’s primary elections in May, as well as in fall 2008 for the general election. 

“It is absolutely important for everyone at Creighton to get involved and vote in the upcoming election,” said Weiers. 
He adds that Creighton students, while many come from out of state, should have no problem voting in Nebraska because most live here nine months out of the year.