2008 Woodie Awards
Focus turns to Ohio's youth as pivotal voting bloc in '08
Charlie Turner
Issue date: 3/4/08 Section: Front Page
If Ohio follows the trend set by the rest of the nation, young people could very well be an influential voting block in the March 4 primary.
Martha Good, a professor of political science at Miami University, said the large turnout of youth voters thus far in the 2008 primaries could be partially attributed to a sense of change in the political atmosphere.
"I think because (this election season) is not the same old," Good said. "I have a daughter who is a sophomore in college. (For college students), their whole life, a Bush or a Clinton has been president. They want something new-different."
In 2004, the median turnout for youth voters (ages 17-29) in the Democratic primary was nine percent, according to a Feb. 11 study published by Scott Keeter, director of research at the PEW Research Center in Washington, D.C. In the 2008 primaries, the median percent of youth voters that have participated in the Democratic primaries so far is 14.
The same study, based off of NBC news exit polls of this year's primaries, shows that young voters prefer Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) over Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) in their choice for a Democratic Party nominee.
Associated Student Government (ASG) president Jens Sutmöller said that students have a stake in the elections, particularly in light of recent Ohio legislation pertaining to tuition rates and other issues that affect youth.
"Students are very influential … It's only through voting power that politicians really listen to us," Sutmöller said.
David Bernstein, director and producer of the political action movie 18 in 08 and a freshman at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, said the tight race and the candidates' outreach to young people have been influential on turnout.
"I think people are responding to the candidates," Bernstein said. "These young people feel (there is) a sense of historic nature about this election-that they can have a say in it. It's an open race that hasn't been called one way or another, and candidates are calling out to young people in ways that are really unprecedented."
Martha Good, a professor of political science at Miami University, said the large turnout of youth voters thus far in the 2008 primaries could be partially attributed to a sense of change in the political atmosphere.
"I think because (this election season) is not the same old," Good said. "I have a daughter who is a sophomore in college. (For college students), their whole life, a Bush or a Clinton has been president. They want something new-different."
In 2004, the median turnout for youth voters (ages 17-29) in the Democratic primary was nine percent, according to a Feb. 11 study published by Scott Keeter, director of research at the PEW Research Center in Washington, D.C. In the 2008 primaries, the median percent of youth voters that have participated in the Democratic primaries so far is 14.
The same study, based off of NBC news exit polls of this year's primaries, shows that young voters prefer Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) over Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) in their choice for a Democratic Party nominee.
Associated Student Government (ASG) president Jens Sutmöller said that students have a stake in the elections, particularly in light of recent Ohio legislation pertaining to tuition rates and other issues that affect youth.
"Students are very influential … It's only through voting power that politicians really listen to us," Sutmöller said.
David Bernstein, director and producer of the political action movie 18 in 08 and a freshman at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, said the tight race and the candidates' outreach to young people have been influential on turnout.
"I think people are responding to the candidates," Bernstein said. "These young people feel (there is) a sense of historic nature about this election-that they can have a say in it. It's an open race that hasn't been called one way or another, and candidates are calling out to young people in ways that are really unprecedented."
Be the first to comment on this story