Youth Vote Collapsed in Massachusetts

[Gman]

It appears there is a potentially huge problem for Democrats going into the 2010 election cycle: young people simply are not voting. Part of Martha Coakley’s problem in Massachusetts was the incredibly low turnout among voters between 18-29. The findings of a Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement poll state:

About 15% of Massachusetts citizens between the ages of 18-29 turned out to vote.* For citizens age 30 and older, turnout was about 57%.

For comparison: 25% of young citizens (age 18-29) voted in the 2008 Massachusetts presidential primaries, and 47.8% of young Massachusetts citizens voted in the 2008 presidential elections, according to CIRCLE’s analysis. Seventy-eight percent of under-30 voters in Massachusetts chose Barack Obama in the 2008 general election; 20% chose John McCain.

http://elections.firedoglake.com/2010/01/21/youth-vote-collapsed-in-massachusetts/

----------------------------------

Normalcy returns to the election process. If it's out of sight and out of mind, youth don't pay attention. Unfortunately, its back to normal youth turnouts. You could probably ask and get an answer from 90% of 18-29 of "there was an election? Again?"

[Captain Hilts]

1. It usually does in off year elections. nt

[CTyankee]

3. Hasn't there been research on this question?

If we know why the younger voters don't bother voting we could devise better campaign tactics...it seems to me that we are just not making the case to get them out.

[Captain Hilts]

13. As a pollster this pattern was very predictable. there's fall-out in many

demographics:

younger voters
voters of color
low income voters

Folks who are older and have children and/or mortgages ALWAYS turn out.

[groovedaddy]

5. This was a special election, notorious for low turn outs. The turnout for this

special election was extraordinarily high, but not for the youth demographic. Why?

[depakid]

2. It's NOT that youth doesn't pay attention

it's that youth- of all groups, is the most easily disillusioned and therefore much more susceptible to the politics of disappointment.

They also- more than most groups, appreciate those who they perceive as standing up and fighting for a cause- even if they go down in flames.

[W_HAMILTON]

6. Yep.

I'm just barely still in that "youth vote" category, and I'm completely disillusioned with the Democrats we have in power. After coming out in such force, believing that we truly had a transformational candidate that was going to change things in this country, I can see why they wouldn't give a damn to vote for Coakley. Is she going to bring about change? Does it matter if the Democrats have 59 seats or 58? They don't seem to be accomplishing anything in the Senate regardless.

[depakid]

12. I can relate

Been there before and remember all too well how it felt.

[brendan120678]

4. 2008 was an anomaly.

In general, voter turnout for young people is never that high.

I'm 31 now, but I remember that during my late teens and throughout my 20's, less than half of my friends voted with any regularity.

[Gman]

7. 2008 actually was an anomaly

I have been voting since I turned 18 in 1972. Turnout was low then and now historically, the 18-29 group has the lowest turnout rate.

[Captain Hilts]

15. Mine didn't vote either in those ages. nt

[Rosa Luxemburg]

8. a bit of both

not energized because they are not getting the change they want with an uninspiring candidate and also a special election has low turn outs

[Gman]

19. I'm thinking another BIG reason is that voting is so 2 years ago

and not really that cool with the cool dude named Obama running. In other words, Obama literally became a fad that's for the most part over. The coolness was a lot of motivation. Politics and change take a lot of attention span and with the young there's only so much attention span that can be paid to anything and the attention is prioritized. If that makes you bristle, then you're not included in that generality. But think about your friends and others and there is some truth to it.

[rox63]

9. Urban areas didn't show up at the polls either

Most cities (where more liberals live) had turnout below 40%. Most suburbs and rural areas (where more conservatives live) had turnout over 50%. My own city of 100K+ people had turnout of only 38%. See town-by-town results at the link below:

http://www.boston.com/news/special/politics/2010/senate/results.html

[Captain Hilts]

14. Urbanites and younger voters are INfamous for just not showing up in these elections. Same in VA.

even when presented with scary, right-wing creeps to keep out of office. The AG in VA is a real creep now.

[Odin2005]

10. That's what happens when you piss off your base.

[Captain Hilts]

16. It also happens when the 'base' isn't pissed off. nt

[bluestateguy]

11. It's hard to get young people to the polls no matter what

With older people you just have to tell them when election day is and they'll show up. With voters under 30, you have to get them registered (they move around more often), tell them why it's important to vote, and persistently remind them to vote. They need to be inspired and motivated. It's a chore.

[BeFree]

17. The numbers

2008:
1,104,284 McCain
1,891,083 Obama

2010
1,168,107 Brown + 64,000 more than McCain
1,058,682 Coakley - 830,000 less than Obama

The turnout for the conservative went up and the liberal vote declined by 40%.

That is amazing. Never happened before.

If the vote for the conservative went down by a similar percentage, the liberal would have won. But for the first time ever, in an off year election, the vote for the conservative actually increased.

That Brown is something. This trend continues and Jeb Bush will be the next president.

[optimator]

18. lets FORCE them to buy insurance

that will get them motivated to vote for "our team."
:sarcasm:

[Gman]

20. No sarcasm needed because that's a good idea

makes them take some responsibility and start paying attention.