As the presidential election looms even closer, candidates are vying for every last vote, including one of the country’s biggest stumbling blocks: young people.
According to the Center For Information & Research On Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), a research organization studying political behavior among voters, there are 46 million eligible young voters, between ages 18 and 29, making up 21 percent of the total eligible voting electorate.
Youth voting has been on the rise in the past decade and the 2008 election marked the highest youth turnout in recent years with 51 percent of the demographic casting a vote, according to CIRCLE’s website.
California had a young voter turnout of 53.1 percent in 2008, which is 2.1 percent higher than the national average.
But according to CSULB political science professor Christopher Dennis, the momentum for voting in this election may have died down compared to four years ago.
Dennis said there is a possibility that young voter turnout in the 2012 election may be lower than that of the 2008 election.
“The economy isn’t good,” Dennis said. “Some may vote for Romney. Some won’t vote. Some are disillusioned with Obama.”
According to Dennis, the high voter turnout in 2008 may have been attributed to many voters feeling passionate for Obama.
For some students, like sophomore art history major Samantha Atlas, voting for the first time will be a unique experience.
“I’m beginning to see more and more how crucial voting is,” Atlas said. “The majority of my friends are voting this year. [For most] it will be their first time as well.”
For other students, like junior kinesiology major Matthew Downey, every vote counts.
“I feel that voting is important because it’s the little say we get … [in] government,” Downey said. “The decisions that are made [in the election] will have a huge impact on my future.”
For some students, like sophomore film major Chloee Farris, voting matters more when voting on propositions instead of the presidency.
“I think my votes count more directly for the propositions,” Farris said. “Voting is important [though] … because the decisions made by the president affect me, especially regarding finances and taxes.”
Even though the presidential election depends on the votes of key swing states – not including California – some students say they still feel like their vote matters.
“One vote may seem insignificant, but they all eventually add up,” Downey said.