Youth Vote Rivals Largest in American History

11/8/08 Update: The latest tallies show that approximately 23 million 18-29 year olds voted on Election Day 2008, the most young voters ever to cast a ballot in a presidential election and an increase of 3 million compared with 2004, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE).

Turnout among young voters was up from 2004 to 52-53%, the highest level since 1972, making 2008 the third major election in a row where young people have increased their turnout!

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The tallies are in and young voters have proven their power at the polls.

On November 4th, approximately 24 million 18-29 year olds cast ballots in this historic election, a turnout rate of 54.5%, up nearly 6 percentage points from 2004. This youth turnout figure is based on a turnout estimate from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), and overall turnout calculations from Professor Michael McDonald of George Mason University and results from the National Election Pool exit poll.

Across the country, young voters’ turnout made a significant impact on close races in battleground states. In Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, and other states, young people propelled Barack Obama to victory. Nationwide, 66% of 18-29 year olds voted for the President-Elect; state-by-state, this strong support made the difference in a number of contests.

Yesterday’s record turnout marks the third major election in a row with increased young voter turnout. In 2004, the youth turnout rate was 49%, an increase of 9% points over the 2000 election; in 2006, young voters turnout went up by 3% points over 2002. On November 4th, 18-29 year olds’ turnout rate increased by nearly 6% points over 2004 levels, resulting in 4 million more young voters than in 2004.

“Yesterday more young people voted than in any election since 18 year olds won the right to vote in 1972. This is truly a remarkable moment; young people have spoken and elected the next president,” said Heather Smith, executive director, Rock the Vote. “No longer can pundits and politicians say we don’t vote. The face of our democracy is forever changed and young people have shown the world we are taking our country into our own hands.”

This year Rock the Vote ran the largest voter registration drive in history, using a combination of online, mobile and grassroots outreach resulting in more than 2.5 million individuals downloading a registration form.

After registering a record number of voters, Rock the Vote ran an extensive get-out-the-vote effort, using popular culture and new technology to reach young people nationwide and mobilizing volunteers in key states. Our efforts on Election Day included:

• Sending more than 100,000 mobile subscribers an Election Day text message reminder;
• Phone-banking 13,300 young voters to remind them to get to the polls;
• Accompanying Ohio State University students to the polls;
• Providing shuttles to the polls in Blacksburg, Virginia and several other schools;
• Helping protect young people’s votes at Drexel University; and
• Dispelling inaccurate attempts to disenfranchise young voters through online and mobile messaging.
  

On college campuses and in cities and communities across the country, Rock the Vote was on the ground yesterday supporting the 24 million young voters who cast a ballot yesterday. Visit www.rockthevote.com or more stories, videos and pictures from the field.

“We’ll now take this incredible energy and momentum and demand action on the issues young people care about such as the economy, the war in Iraq, heath care, voting rights, and the environment,” Smith commented. “This is only the beginning.”

Young Voters Make History

You did it.

Tonight Rock the Vote is celebrating alongside young Americans nationwide as reports indicate record turnout in the 2008 election. From coast to coast we have witnessed young voters flooding the polls excited and enthusiastic to cast their ballots.

For 18 years Rock the Vote has promised that young people would reward elected officials and candidates for public office with their support on Election Day if they were reached out to in a sustained, substantive and authentic way.

President-elect Obama did precisely that and more. He responded to the concerns and questions that they have. He found them on the Internet, engaged them through text messaging and technology and devoted resources and time to earn their trust.

This is a transformative moment. Research shows that once people register and vote for the first time, they become active members of the electorate for the rest of their lives. The same people who elected President-elect Obama will now ensure that he has the support to make the real changes so many of us have been calling for. And in the future public officials who overlook them as a bloc will do so at their own peril.

“Young voters have dispelled the notion of an apathetic generation and proved the pundits, reporters and political parties wrong by voting in record numbers today,” said Heather Smith, the Executive Director of Rock the Vote. “The Millennial generation is making their mark on politics and shaping our future.”

Rock the Vote has worked tirelessly to respond to those people who were skeptical about whether and to what extent young people care to get involved in politics. After tonight, there is no question: young people care deeply about and are very motivated to serve the vision they have for their futures.

Tonight, Rock the Vote celebrates the historic levels of turnout we witnessed in this election with the more than 2.5 million young people who downloaded registration forms from our website, attended our rallies, responded to our text messages, wore our t-shirts, visited our bus. They changed our country and politics forever. It will never be the same.

Field Update: Precincts Surpassing 2004 Levels Already

More good news! We're hearing that several youth-dense precincts in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida, and Nevada indicate that voter turnout among 18-29 year-olds has already surpassed 2004 levels, or nearly has.

Here are the numbers:

Drexel University (Philadelphia)
2008(as of 1pm): 500 votes cast
2004 total: 425 votes cast

Virginia Tech (Blacksburg)
2008 (as of 3pm): 2,465 votes cast
2004 total: 2,069 votes cast

Florida State University (Tallahassee)
2008 (as of 3pm): 721 votes cast
2004 total: 625 votes cast

University of Nevada, Las Vegas
2008 (as of 4pm): 811
2004: 860

At Virginia Tech University and Drexel University lines are now hours long. Download video footage of the situation on the ground at Drexel here: http://qs1195.pair.com/rockvote/110408/

We also continue to see young voters experiencing attempts to keep them from the polls. Voters in Florida, Texas and Arizona have reported receiving the following text message: "Due to long lines today, all Obama voters are asked to vote on Wednesday. Thank you for your cooperation." View screenshots here: http://www.rockthevote.com/electionday/?name=precincts/pennsylvania.html

In addition, we have also been notified that students attempting to vote at Florida State who are showing student IDs are being turned away. By law, students may use student IDs to vote in Florida, as long as the ID is signed. We are urging individuals to call 1-866-OUR-VOTE if they encounter any problems.

"Across the country we are seeing surges of young people hitting the polls," said Heather Smith, executive director of Rock the Vote. "However; there are still significant obstacles, including three to four hour lines, logistical challenges and attempts to make voting less accessible to students. Election protection advocates are working hard to make sure every person who registered to vote is allowed to vote."

Stay tuned: Rock the Vote will have more up to date information as polls begin to close across the country.

Visit www.rockthevote.com for more stories from the polls.

Field Update: Youth Turnout Strong, Problems at VA Tech

We're hearing from Rock the Vote organizers and volunteers in the field that early turnout at youth-dense precincts across the country is strong!

We have people on the ground in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Florida, and elsewhere - early numbers, photos, and video from polling places in these states show long lines and big numbers of young voters. For example:

• At Drexel University in Philadelphia, 395 people had already voted by 11:45 am, with another 179 in line. Compare this to 2004, when 425 people total voted in that same precinct all day!

• At Penn State, 1,000 students were in line this morning, and turnout is exceeding what it was this early in the day in 2004. Check out photos of voters in line here.

“Early tallies in youth dense precincts indicate that young people are taking their enthusiasm to the ballot box,” said Heather Smith, Executive Director of Rock the Vote. “Get Out the Vote efforts across the country, on the ground, and through mobile and online technology are bolstering the turnout we are seeing in Virginia and Pennsylvania this morning.”

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, young adults are also facing obstacles in trying to vote today.

More than 5,600 people, mainly Virginia Tech students - who faced voting rights violations already this year - are registered to vote at precinct E1 in Blacksburg in Montgomery County in Virginia. That number is nearly double what the state law allows for polling stations - to make matters worse, the poll place is 6.5 miles from campus and has almost no parking.

Despite this, young adults are organizing their peers to get to the polls and arriving today to the polling place in large numbers, according to those on the ground.

“The long lines in Blacksburg are filled with excited new and young voters, many Virginia Tech students,” said Rock the Vote’s Amanda Eckerson, on site in Virginia today. “Today we are seeing young people in Virginia and across the country casting ballots despite poor logistical planning, long lines and bad weather.”

More updates to come! Visit www.rockthevote.com for voter stories from Pennsylvania, Virginia, and elsewhere.

Vote on questions for McCain, Obama

Check out a cool project - the Walden University Presidential Youth Debate - that Rock the Vote is a part of.

Senators McCain and Obama have agreed to answer via video 14 questions from young Americans as part of the debate - today, you have a chance to help choose what those 14 questions are.

Go to the Walden University Presidential Youth Debate website before 10pm EST tonight and you can vote for which questions you'd like to see the presidential candidates answer.

Voting closes at 10pm EST today, so check it out and vote now!

The candidates’ video responses will be posted online on October 20th at www.youthdebate2008.org. Make sure to check it out.

The Next Round of Disenfranchisement: Fight Back

See what these folks are doing?



They’re registering to vote at a Flobots concert we attended back in May.

They’re members of the 18-29 age demographic, a group electoral analysts have said will play a critical role in determining the outcome of the upcoming general election. Even though the youth vote made a big impact on the outcomes of the primaries earlier this year, new obstacles have arisen that might make it harder for some of America’s youth in certain areas of the country to vote in the general election.

On August 25, a county registrar in Virginia claimed that students attending school in the county risk their financial security if their home address is out-of-state and they register to vote in the county. He claimed students who registered to vote in the county under these circumstances could lose the ability to be declared as dependents on their parents’ tax returns, and said this could impact their finances while at college.

Talk about a turn-off to voting. It’s good for the students that the registrar was wrong. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said his statement was incorrect, and a 1979 Supreme Court decision affirmed students’ right to register to vote at their college address.

The county registrar, after questioning by civil rights lawyers, issued a clarification to the August 25 memo in this document and said it did not have a position on if any element of student’s finances would be affected by registering to vote outside their home county.

This is not the only recent story of potential disenfranchisement. Currently, there’s a political storm brewing in Michigan regarding the disenfranchisement of voters whose homes have been foreclosed, and we’ll keep you updated on the legal weather over there.

With the state registration deadlines for the general elections approaching, we must be even more critical of any and all apparent attempts by anyone to in any way disenfranchise voters without due and just cause. It is important for you make sure that you’re still registered to vote and that you have not been removed from registered voter lists. You too should have the chance to impact the course of the nation.

One of the best ways you can take direct action to make sure your voting rights are secure is utilizing our Rock Your Rights page. We’ve partnered with the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and other groups to protect and promote voting rights this year and beyond.

Fight for your right to vote on Election Day.

Virginians are Rockin’ the Voter Registration

Virginia’s Board of Elections ordered a whopping 200,000 additional voter registration forms after citizens throughout the state spoke out and rocked their right to vote .

The Board ordered the voter registration forms after a big increase in the number of registrants exceeded the Board’s expectations. This is what we like to call a “good problem,” because the problem – the shortage of ballots – came as the result of more people wanting to participate in the electoral process.

Virginia has recently seen a dramatic increase in voter registration among the 18-35 years of age group. In mid-August, 64 percent of the 200,000 voters who had registered since January were in this age cohort. After you whip out calculator and do some math, that’s about 128,000 new youth voters in Virginia alone. And that was back in August.

Some Virginians who have asked for registration forms want to fill out those forms to make sure they’re registered, to guarantee their ability to vote even if they registered before. Their proactive stance regarding November 4, their desire to make sure they’ll have the ability to help affect the future of America through the power of the ballot, is exemplary of true American patriotism.

Virginia’s voter registration deadline is October 6, and a complete list of voter registration deadlines for the 50 states and the District of Columbia can be found here.

Rock the Vote was in Blacksburg, VA today, causing part of the voter registration "problem." Check out photos here.

Straight Talk on Reaching the Youth Vote

John McCain hosted a town hall meeting in New York City last week, where he took a question from a young Republican on how he planned to reach out to young voters he was going to compete for the youth vote:

"I think it’s going to be a real competition for young people’s votes. One of the reason why I go on Saturday Night Live, and Jon Stewart, and MTV Town Hall, and all other kinds of venues is so that I will have a better opportunity to communicate with young people.”

Indeed, John McCain has made more guest appearances on the Daily Show—12 in total—than any other guest of the show ever. According to IMDB, McCain has also made 10 appearances on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and 8 appearances on the “Late Show with David Letterman.” By comparison, he has appeared on the famed Sunday political talk show “Meet the Press” only 6 times.

But while John McCain trumps Barack Obama on late-night television appearances, he’s losing ground fast on the internet. A recent Washington Post article compared the online presence of the two candidates:

“On MySpace, Obama leads McCain more than seven-fold; Obama lists 390,279 friends to McCain's 53,259. The gap is almost similar on Facebook. Obama supporters number at 928,905 while McCain's clock in at 139,749. And on YouTube, it's almost as if Obama and McCain operate in two separate layers of the atmosphere. McCain's channel, which has posted 219 videos, has been viewed a little over 4 million times. Obama's channel, which has posted 1,102 videos, has been viewed 51.1 million times.”

It’ll be interesting to see if McCain can close the cyber-chasm before November. Most experts are predicting that his campaign will have less cash to spend than Obama (due largely to Obama's online donations), in which case the internet could offer a great opportunity for McCain to spread his message to millions of young people without spending millions of dollars.

Another appearance on the Daily Show couldn’t hurt either.

Young Voters are the New Pink

Or the new orange? The new indigo?

I can't keep track, but either way, point is that the youth vote's hot this year. Presidential candidates can't seem to get enough of us:

• Barack Obama has made youth vote outreach an integral part of his campaign, beginning in Iowa and on down to Indiana. From the early days of Students for Barack Obama and the "million-strong" Facebook group, to recent efforts in IN and NC and the launch of Vote for Change, the Obama campaign has embraced the youth vote in 2008.
  

• John McCain is vowing to fight for the youth vote. His campaign manager, speaking in April to GOP leaders from around the country, said "we've got to go after this segment" in 2008, and Senator McCain has announced his intention to "contest every youth vote" in November.
  

• Hillary Clinton ramped up her youth outreach going into the New Hampshire primary. Key players in "Hillblazers" and other youth outreach efforts have been her daughter, Chelsea Clinton, and celebrities America Ferrera and Amber Tamblyn, and youth outreach has been a part of the campaign right up to yesterday's West Virginia primary.
  

This is new - and awesome. I've never seen presidential campaigns not only TALK about the youth vote, but actually put time and energy into getting out to our campuses and communities.

And you know why they're doing it - it's because you're voting, you're taking action, and you're building power for the Millennial Generation. You voted in big numbers in 2004, big numbers again in 2006 - and then you blew it all out of the water with double and triple turnout in the 2008 primaries!

Let's keep it up this November. Make sure you're registered to vote, make sure all your friends are registered to vote, too, and get involved - join a Rock the Vote Street Team or volunteer, and be a part of the Year of the Young Voter.

Rocking the Hoosier-Heel Primary

Nice - all you out there in Indiana and North Carolina rocked the primaries again yesterday, making up significant portions of the electorate in both states.

Young voters' continued surge at the polls even impressed the most skeptical political reporters - for example, in today's Washington Post column "The Hoosier-Heel Primary: Winners and Losers," young voters are listed as one of yesterday's big winners:

Young Voters: No age group has been more ridiculed for their lack of participation than those under 30. But in Indiana that age group comprised 16* percent of the overall vote while those 65 or older comprised 15 percent...

You're making our generation a huge story this election year. From Monday's USA Today cover story "Young Voters Poised to Flex Electoral Muscle" to an article entitled "Young Voters Hold the Key" in the Nation today, we're making our mark on the 2008 elections.

West Virginia, Oregon and Kentucky - you're next!

*Updated to 17% last night. w00t!

Supremely Wrong

Unfortunately, democracy took a blow today when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Indiana's strictest-in-the-nation voter ID law. See Rock the Vote's statement below:

Supreme Court Photo ID Ruling a Blow to American Democracy

Voting Rights of Young Adults, Low-Income, Minority Voters, Elderly at Risk

April 28, 2008 - Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Indiana’s strict photo identification requirement for voters does not violate the constitutional right to vote. The ruling, upholding a decision by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, immediately impacts only Indiana voters but could have far-reaching effects should other states move forward to enact similar laws.

Rock the Vote condemns today’s ruling, which will disenfranchise young, low-income, minority and elderly voters in Indiana, and presents additional barriers to the fundamental right to vote.

“In a year when young adults are turning out to vote in record numbers, it’s shameful to see the Court issue a ruling that can only dampen this surge in political participation,” said Heather Smith, Executive Director of Rock the Vote. “Thankfully, this ruling only directly impacts one state: Indiana,” continued Smith. “We hope that other states will avoid playing politics with the right to vote and recognize that laws like the one in Indiana do significant harm to our democracy.”

In Rock the Vote’s most recent poll of 18-29 year olds, 19 percent reported that they did not have a government-issued photo ID with their current address, indicating that as many as one in five young adults could be disenfranchised by a restrictive law such as the one in Indiana or variations on ID laws in other states. Young adults, who move frequently and/or are likely to be in college, tend to be among those most adversely affected by laws requiring state-issued photo identification. Other demographics affected adversely by this law include senior citizens, low-income adults, and minority voters.

The Supreme Court’s decision, available at http://www.supremecourtus.gov, reveals troubling thinking behind this ruling:

1) The Court admits in its ruling that the reasoning behind imposing this strict law – the desire to prevent voter fraud – was inapplicable in Indiana. In its ruling, the Court stated “the record contains no evidence that the fraud…in-person voter impersonation at polling places – has actually occurred in Indiana…” (page 2, emphasis added)

2) The Court also downgrades the constitutional right to vote. Justice Scalia, joined by Justices Thomas and Alito, stated “petitioners’ premise that the voter-identification law might have imposed a special burden on some voters is irrelevant.” (page 3, emphasis added)

3) Finally, the Court states that the burden of obtaining this identification is not “a significant increase over the usual burdens of voting” (page 3), reiterating the sentiment behind the Seventh Circuit’s shocking statement that voters who do not obtain the required identification are choosing to “disenfranchise themselves” rather than go to “the expense of obtaining a photo ID.”

Rock the Vote condemns today’s ruling and encourages other states not to follow Indiana’s lead, but to instead support the participation of young voters in 2008 and beyond by ensuring citizens’ rights to vote are priority number one in our electoral system.

Rock the Vote signed onto a brief amicus curiae in support of the petitioners in this case, along with other youth groups including the Student Association for Voter Empowerment and the National Black Law Students Association. Throughout 2008, Rock the Vote will be providing information on voter registration and voting to young Americans as part of our work to register two million 18-29 year olds to vote and increase young voter turnout for the third election in a row. In addition, we will be keeping a close eye on voting rights to ensure no eligible American is denied the right to vote.

Nutmeg State Moves Toward 17 Year Old Primary Vote

Good news! Two days ago, the Connecticut House of Representatives passed a bill to allow 17 year olds to vote in primary elections if they'll be 18 by the time of the general election.

The overwhelming bipartisan support in the House (vote count was 135-12) is a good sign for down the road, when the bill heads to the state Senate and eventually to the statewide ballot in 2010.

Nine other states already allow 17 year olds to vote in primaries if they'll be 18 by the time of the general election: Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia. Others - most recently New Hampshire - are working to make that happen.

Invite: A Better Deal Conference

You're invited! Check out the "A Better Deal" conference, sponsored by Demos and in partnership with Rock the Vote and a bunch of other great organizations. The event is in D.C. on May 8th and 9th.

WHAT: Hundreds of young activists meeting to learn about their generation's economic crisis. The conference is not just about ideas, though – it's about action. Attendees will get the tools to connect politics to the personal financial struggles of young voters, and get hooked up with others to build a movement for a better deal in their communities.

Activists will also have a chance to design and participate in their own, user-generated workshops. Register today to submit your idea. This conference is FREE and limited travel scholarships are available.

WHO:
-You
-Hundreds of other young activists
-Speakers: Andy Stern, SEIU, Katrina vanden Heuvel, The Nation, Heather Smith, Rock the Vote, Tom Manatos, Office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Shannon Augare, Montana State Legislature, Rob Brown, Opportunity Maine, Michael Connery, author, Youth to Power, Maya Enista, Mobilize.org, Colonel Michael F. Hayden, USAF (Ret.), Ian Kim, Ella Baker Center, Chris Lindstrom, The Student PIRGs, Gabriel Pendas, U.S. Student Association, Andrea Batista Schlesinger, Drum Major Institute, Erica Williams, Campus Progress, and more.

WHEN AND WHERE:
May 8 & May 9
The Liaison Capitol Hill
415 New Jersey Ave. NW, WASHINGTON, DC

For more information, check out www.abetterdealconference.org

Our Year to Rock the Vote

Three days after the New Hampshire primaries, the press and political community are still buzzing about young voters' record turnout in N.H. and in Iowa. Just a sampling of the buzz:

Generation Y: Ready to Rock the 2008 Election, The Washington Post

Appetite for change finally draws young voters to the polls, San Francisco Chronicle

Young Voters Become Primary Voters, The Myrtle Beach Sun News

Young Voters Are Reshaping The Political Map And Politicians Are Listening, The Huffington Post

Young Voters Take a Shot at the Status Quo, Los Angeles Daily News

Youth Vote Splits in New Hampshire, The Nation

And there are thousands more similar stories. You rocked it in N.H. and Iowa, and made them sit up and pay attention.

For all of you out there in Florida, California, South Carolina, Nevada, Tennessee, etc. etc. etc. with primaries and caucuses yet to come - let's build on this and Rock the Vote in 2008 like they've never seen before.

Rock the Vote in New Hampshire

Young voters made history in Iowa last week with record turnout to the caucuses. Defying all expectations, 17-29 year olds tripled their numbers at the caucuses and made the country sit up and take notice.

Now it’s New Hampshire's turn. The N.H. presidential primaries are on Tuesday, January 8th. Get out and vote, and make sure your friends do the same. Here’s how:

Show Up: In New Hampshire, any resident 18 years of age or older can vote in the presidential primaries. If you’re not yet registered to vote, you can show up and register at the polls on Tuesday. Just bring your ID to show proof of age, residence, and citizenship.

Find Your Polling Place: Not sure where to go on Tuesday? Click here to find your polling place and its hours of operation.

Pick Your Primary: New Hampshire voters who are not registered with a political party may vote in either primary (more info). Voters who are registered as Democrats may vote in the Democratic primary; voters registered as Republicans may vote in the Republican primary.

Make Your Choice: Check out the sample Democratic and Republican ballots and, to read up on the candidates, see CNN’s 2008 Election Center or the New York Times’ Election Guide 2008.

Tell Your Friends: Click here for a sample email you can send to your friends, reminding them to vote on Tuesday. Send an email to ten of your friends right now. Then, on Election Day, text message those same ten and remind them to get to the polls.

Find all the above info here and join our Facebook event here.

Rock the Vote is heading to Manchester, New Hampshire to mobilize young voters to the polls for the New Hampshire primaries. Rock the Vote Executive Director Heather Smith and others will be on the ground doing young voter outreach in the final days leading up to the primary. Stay tuned – more details to come.

Together we can make history in New Hampshire and make sure the candidates know who’s Rocking the Vote in ’08!

FOR THE PRESS - Rock the Vote's media spokespeople will be tracking young voter turnout and mobilization activities, and will be available for comment the day of and days following the primary. Contact Chrissy Faessen at 202-223-1520 x114 or chrissy(at)rockthevote.com.

Victory! MD 17-Year-Olds to Vote in 2008 Primaries

This just in! Today, the Maryland State Board of Elections reinstated the right of 17-year-olds to vote in the February 12th presidential primaries if they will be 18 by the time of the 2008 general election.

This ends a months-long fight - reported on yesterday - and is great news for young Maryland voters and for voting rights in general. Congratulations to everyone who worked hard to protect the right to vote, including FairVote, State Senator Jamie Raskin, the Maryland Democratic Party, Maryland Republican Party, and Maryland students and young adults.

Now let's make sure everyone gets registered! The deadline to register for the Maryland primaries is January 22nd. You can do it right here - piece of cake - and send it along to your friends, too.

On that note - primaries and caucuses are happening in every state over the next few months. You can find out when your state's primary is here, and when the deadline is to register. Check it out and make sure all your friends do, too.

Another Attempt to Disenfranchise Young Voters

I'm starting to see a disturbing trend.

Maryland, on the heels of Iowa and Georgia, is in the middle of a battle over youth voting rights.

Here's the story: In Maryland, 17-year-olds can vote in primary elections if they will be 18 by the time of the general election. That's been the policy since the 1970s.

Makes sense, right? You vote in the general election, you want to have a say in who gets to be on the ballot that day. Plus, we know that voting is a habit that, if begun early, leads to a lifetime of political engagement. Seems like something we'd want to encourage.

Unfortunately, the Maryland State Board of Elections (SBE) recently decided to upend that long-standing policy and bar 17-year-olds from voting in primaries. With no public input from Maryland residents or the political parties, the SBE decided to disenfranchise 17-year-olds, and even began sending them letters informing them they would not be allowed to vote in the state's upcoming presidential primary on February 12th. Outrageous.

Here's the good news. Both the Maryland Democratic and Republican parties, voting rights advocates, youth organizations, and voting rights leader State Senator Jamie Raskin spoke out forcefully against this policy change, and demanded a ruling from the state Attorney General on the issue.

Earlier today, the Maryland Attorney General issued a statement in which he recommended that Maryland's 17-year-olds be allowed to vote in the Feb. 12 presidential primary. The final decision goes back to the Board of Elections tomorrow, and they are expected to reinstate the rights of 17-year-olds to vote on February 12th.

We'll keep you updated on the SBE's Thursday ruling, and also on follow-up voter education actions. Already, the Maryland-based group FairVote announced a public education campaign with the Maryland Association of Secondary School Principals to make sure all eligible students are aware of the upcoming January 22nd voter registration deadline.

So check back here for updates, and if you live in Maryland, make sure you're registered to vote! You can register right here.

To go back to the beginning, though - this is a disturbing trend, and we need to put a stop to it. As the New York Times said in a recent editorial entitled "Keeping Students Away from the Polls," "The campaigns of fear and intimidation that once kept black voters from casting ballots didn’t end when Congress passed the Voting Rights Act."

Have you seen voter intimidation in your community or on your campus? What do you think we should all be doing to stop it? Let us know in the comments, and check back here for updates on our work.

And as always, make your voice heard by Rocking the Vote every day. Register to vote here, get your friends to register, join our Facebook group, sign up to be a street team leader, volunteer - there are dozens of things each of us can do to Rock the Vote in 2008.

New Report: Millennials Talk Politics

Today, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) released a new report - below is the information, cross-posted from CIRCLE's website:

Millennials Talk Politics: A Study of College Student Civic Engagement

College students in the United States are hungry for political conversation that is authentic, involves diverse views and is free of manipulation and “spin,” according to a new report released on November 7th, 2007 by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE) and The Charles F. Kettering Foundation.

Download the full report in PDF format

Read the press release

Today’s students—part of the Millennial Generation born between 1985 and 2004— are more engaged in their communities and feel responsible to become civically involved. They recognize the importance of being educated and involved citizens, but discard much of the information available to them because of its polarizing and partisan nature. They are turned off by intensely combative political debate, the report says. We also find that colleges and universities are providing very unequal opportunities for civic participation and learning.

Nearly 400 students convened in 47 focus groups on 12 four-year college campuses across the country to discuss their civic and political attitudes and experiences. Focus groups were conducted on the following campuses between October 2006 and July 2007:

Bowdoin College
Kansas State University
Princeton University
Providence College
Tougaloo College
University of California Berkeley
University of Dayton
University of Maryland College Park*
University of Massachusetts Boston
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
University of New Mexico
Wake Forest University

*Pilot focus groups were conducted at the University of Maryland College Park in May 2006.

For more information and the full report, visit http://www.civicyouth.org

Poll: 18-30-Year-Olds to Play Major Role in 2008 Elections

Today, Rock the Vote, WWE®’s Smackdown Your Vote!®, and Sacred Heart University released a new nationwide poll of 18-30-year-olds that indicates young voters are likely to play a major role in the 2008 elections, going to the polls motivated by concerns over the war in Iraq, health care, the economy, and the cost of education.

The poll found that Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani are currently the top primary choices among 18-30-year-old Democrats and Republicans.

From the news release:

“Young voters are a potential powerhouse in the 2008 elections,” said Kat Barr, research director with Rock the Vote. “This poll is yet another indicator that candidates who want to win in 2008 must court this large and increasingly active group of voters.” After declining nearly continuously for three decades, 18-29-year-olds’ voter turnout has increased in the past two major elections. In 2004, 4.3 million more voters under 30 cast ballots than had in 2000 – the total 18-29-year-old vote, 20.1 million, rivaled in size the much sought-after over-65 vote (23 million). Youth turnout also increased in 2006, by 1.9 million over 2002 levels.

Key findings:

Increasingly Engaged and Positive
• More than three-quarters (77%) indicated they are paying a “great deal” of attention to the November 2008 presidential election, much higher rates than found in similar polling from this time in 2003.
• A large majority (87%) report they plan to vote in November 2008, and 85% believe that their vote counts, up from 75% one year ago. (SHU 9/06 poll)

Top Issues
• Top issues are the war in Iraq (28%), health care (22%), the economy (14%), and education (13%).
• When asked whether they agreed with certain statements, 82% reported they are concerned with college affordability, 68% said global warming is a real and growing threat, and 65% said the U.S. government should provide universal health care to all.
• On Iraq, 49% of 18-30-year-olds said the U.S. should withdraw immediately. When asked about the surge, 49% said that it appears to be helping the situation.

Vote Choice
• Among young Democrats, Hillary Clinton was the top choice to win the Democratic primary (54%), followed by Barack Obama (24%), and John Edwards (8.4%).
• Among young Republicans, Rudy Giuliani received the most primary support (32%), followed by Fred Thompson (20%), Mitt Romney (16%), and John McCain (13%).
• For the November 2008 general election, 56% of 18-30-year-olds chose a Democrat as their preferred candidate, while 39% selected Republican candidates.

For the news release and full poll results, see Rock the Vote's website or visit Sacred Heart University.

Youth Vote Helped Swing Polish Elections

The parliamentary election in Poland this past Sunday was a great example of how a political party can benefit from working the youth vote. The heavy defeat suffered by the conservative and strongly nationalist Kaczynski has been attributed to high turnout, especially amongst young voters.

Low turnout for the 2005 election helped give victory to Kaczynskis because its most loyal supporters made sure to vote.

This time around the opposition Civic Platform with its centrist and pro-European Civic Platform made a particular effort to target younger voters as did many non-partisan groups.

In the end, more than 50 percent of 18-24-year-olds voted, not far off the overall figure of 55 percent.

To check out some of the ways Polish youth were Rocking the Vote, click here and here.