Here's a rare negative thread on DU: I'm not seeing young people turn out in high #s

[Seen the light]

This is incredibly unscientific of course, but I've been working outside the polling place in my county here in North Carolina and, while I'm seeing a MASSIVE MASSIVE MASSIVE surge in black turnout...the turnout so far amongst people my age (the 18-29 bracket) has been very small.

Anyone else seen this at their early voting places? If so, why do you think this is? Perhaps a lot of young people really want to vote on Election Day itself?

[EFerrari]

1. The Republicans actively suppress the student vote.

Robocalls threatening their student aid, under equipping their precincts. They need a ton of support.

It's not an accident, in other words.

[EFerrari]

2. dupe

[Buzz Clik]

3. Yup. The kids are voting in huge quantities here.

[fed_up_mother]

4. Are you near a university?

Are you in a precinct where many kids go away to college?

[Seen the light]

8. Division I school less than ten minutes away nt

[Coexist]

12. is there a voting location closer to the school? they bus them to the closest one here.

[Seen the light]

14. There's not. There's supposed to be a shuttle on Nov 4 though.

Or so I heard a few days ago. Maybe people are waiting so they can take the shuttle? :shrug:

[marlakay]

5. Remember last time Michael Moore did a cool student

tour that he made a free online movie about? Is anyone doing that this time to remind the kids to vote?

[skooooo]

6. I heard same on CNN..that young people weren't turning out. nt

[anneboleyn]

7. Many will vote on election day -- they do not do things in advance. Plus you may not be near a

college or university.

[HockeyMom]

9. When my daughter was away at college

She voted by absentee ballot. That may be happening with the college students.

[SheilaT]

10. It is possible that many of them

are waiting until election day itself, if my own 21 year old son is any indication. He goes to school in Tulsa (University of) and told me he decided to register there and vote on November 4th itself so that he could experience the entire experience of going to the polls and voting on election day. He could have voted by mail-in ballot for Kansas, his home address, but since as a Democrat -- he's voting for Obama, of course -- he knows his vote will hardly matter in either state, but still wants to do it the old-fashioned way.

[Redstone]

11. I don't have an answer, but I want to thank you for being so involved

in the election process, especially because I'm guessing you're doing this as a volunteer.

It's the many people like you who keep at least some semblance of democracy alive in America.

Redstone

[phusion]

13. Not here...

The county setup an early voting center ON CAMPUS here at the University of New Mexico. I went on Wednesday but decided to wait until today because there was at least an hour wait. It was like this all week...

I think it was a brilliant move to setup on campus and GOTV.

[Essene]

15. im not sure i'd worry about early voting being representative

although im always worried about the youth vote.

this year they are more important than ever.

[DefenseLawyer]

16. I think a lot of college students are still registered at home.

If not, sounds like you need to get off the computer and go do some canvassing.

[grantcart]

17. here are the stats

I don't know how to evaluate it since it has 11 % for 11 years

but 41% for 19 years It would seem that you are correct that they are still under voting in NC

18-29 11.4%
30-44 19.1%
45-64 41.6%
65+ 28.0%


http://elections.gmu.edu/early_vote_2008.html

[JustinL]

18. here's the 2004 NC exit poll for comparison

18-29: 14% in exit poll vs. 11.4% in this year's early voting
30-44: 33% vs. 19.1%
45-64: 40% vs. 41.6%
65+: 13% vs. 28.0%

The early voters appear to be significantly older than the 2004 electorate.

link

[Citizen Jane]

19. Absentee Ballot

Many college students do not change their registration to local registration for fear that it will cause problems with things like: having to pay ad valorem taxes on a car which will end up back at home after school, questions about whether parents or others can claim them as dependents because they don't have the same address, it goes on and on.

Most undergrads and grad students at the University where I am are voting absentee. In fact, I have not met one yet who said he or she was voting locally.

[bluemarkers]

20. my son

voted in home county over fall break (UNCG Student)

Wonder if others are doing the same.

[d_b]

21. I'm waiting for the 4th.

[psychmommy]

22. my question: is are young black folks early voting?

we are not counted in the age breakdowns i assume? black radio is very vocal about early voting because of the long lines on previous election days. hell, there have been long lines in florida and other places for early voting (in black communities). i will assume it is like that in most minority communities-pushing for early voting.

[Iterate]

23. From Gallup - Breakdown of early voting

In their survey (10-24-08) 19% of the 18-34 group plan to vote early and 5% already have. Not much different from the 35-54 age group = 7% already voted.

75% plan to vote on the 4th.

"Early Read on Early Voting, Could Reach 30%"

http://www.gallup.com/poll/111430/Early-Voting-Now-11-Could-Reach-30.aspx

[mmonk]

24. There is a polling place at the NC State campus where my son is.

I'll be voting there with him this coming week.

[Jennicut]

25. I don't know about anyone else but in 1996 when I was in college I voted through absentee ballot

There was no way I was making it home to vote on the day of the election, I thought most students voted that way. It was my one and only time I did not vote on election day. Voted for Clinton that day, my first election and now it will be Obama 12 years later!

[4lbs]

26. The 18 or 19 year olds may not be residents of the state the college is in, and may be voting by

mail-in absentee ballot for their current home state.

[Mark46818]

27. Voted today in Indiana

I voted today here in Indiana (stood in line for 45 minutes) ans I can state that about half of the 100 plus people standing in line were in that 18-29 age group.

[Allyoop]

28. Obama headquarters?

Do you have an Obama Headquarters there? Here in Boone, NC the Obama HQ and Watauga Democrats are very active with the App State Students. I don't know how many have voted, but we have many places close to campus where they can vote and lots of volunteers handing out information and encouraging them to vote early.

[stopbush]

29. My son (15) is a member of the Young Democrats, and he doesn't want me to vote early.

He always goes to vote with me, and he wants to "be a part of it on election day." Maybe others in his age group feel the same way.

[mwei924]

30. Most of my friends vote absentee.

A lot of them turned 18 before they went to college.

[Awsi Dooger]

31. I voted early in Nevada and didn't see a young person there

Granted, it was mid afternoon at a shopping mall. But I took note that everyone around me resembled the age of the poll workers.

[CreekDog]

32. the black people you see turning out are not 18-29?

i'm confused.

[ogneopasno]

33. They never do the way people hope.

It's a lot easier to register people than get them to vote.