There are nationwide efforts to mobilize young voters as the 2012 presidential election draws near, but some argue that young voters often elude these mobilization efforts.
“We live in an age when there’s so much out there in the media that grabs [young voters’] attention that’s more fun, that’s more immediately engaging … and politics just isn’t something that sounds exciting,” said Mary Caputi, a Cal State Long Beach political science professor. “[Politics] sounds abstract, it sounds dry, it sounds like something that people get into arguments about.”
In order to appeal to young voters, the presidential candidates and their campaign workers will have to make politics relatable to the 18 to 24-year-old demographic. One way of doing this is by associating it with their everyday lives, Caputi said.
“If you actually talk to them about things like the cost of higher education … or health care — something that really affects them directly — then that will get them more interested,” Caputi said.
This is part of the Associated Students Inc.’s strategy at CSULB.
The student government organization will be involved in a campaign this year to mobilize young voters for the Republican primaries and the main election in November, said Deborah Rowe, ASI’s chief of staff, via email.
“If we can show students statistics of the effects of higher education cuts in the California budget and how they correlate to the rise in fees and tuition, I think that students will see that there is a need for them to act in order to protect higher education for the future,” Rowe said.
Still, students may feel that their votes won’t make a difference.
However, Rowe argues that, if students understand the power of their vote, they may consider participating.
“If students see that their vote matters, they are more likely to vote,” Rowe said. “If a certain candidate, issue or platform inspires them and ignites a passion within them, students are likely to move on their impulses and vote on what they believe in.”
Another obstacle in attracting young voters is a lack of knowledge, Caputi said. She said many younger voters mimic their parents when they should be expanding their own education and views.
But, even with all of these obstacles, the 18-24 demographic can still play a significant role in the presidential election, Caputi said.
The key for politicians is to capitalize on this.
“They are a group of people that politicians can speak to very meaningfully about things that are going to affect the country for a long time,” Caputi said.
Some students, like Vince Fiamengo, a senior engineering major, have trouble finding the motivation to vote.
“I really don’t vote anymore,” Fiamengo said. “It feels like a waste of time to vote.”
For those who do want to vote, the deadline to register to vote in California’s June 5 Republican primary is May 21. The deadline for the Nov. 6 general election is 15 days before the election date.
California holds open primaries so voters in any party can participate.