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news
Voting
declines among young adults
By Heather Clarke
Summer Forty-Niner
Voters ranging
from 18-years-old to 25-years-old have declined, according
to a study by the Center for Information and Research on Civic
Learning and Engagement.
The study found
the percentage of voters aged between 18 and 25 dropped from
14.2 percent in 1972 to 7.8 percent in 2000.
Many feel the steady
decline among young adults is not due to a lack of desire
for involvement, but an absence of knowledge about civics.
One reason for
lower voter turnout could be that young adults are not aware
of how politics directly affect them said Lewis Ringel, a
professor of political science at Cal State University Long
Beach. People in that age group generally do not have much
wealth or property and may not pay attention to politics and
the economy because they do not feel affected, Ringel said.
“I really think
that the main reason is that they are just not aware of how
it affects them,” Ringel said. “I know because I teach them.”
Educating young
people on how the government influences their lives would
be one of the best ways to stop the decline in youth voter
turnout.
Rock the Vote is
an organization that focuses on educating young adults and
youth throughout the country. Rock the Vote has created “Community
Street Teams” in 36 cities which educate young people about
politics, said Ryan Sim, programs and communications assistant
at Rock the Vote.
Rock the Vote is
partnering with Advocates for Youth to increase votes in the
18 to 25 age demographic by three percent, Sim said.
“We want to get
them in the mind set to be aware of these things and to be
fully participating,” Sim said.
Assembly Bill 2759,
written by Majority Leader Kevin Shelley, would require school
districts to distribute voter registration forms to high school
seniors, if put into action.
“We’ve found it’s
[low youth voter turnout] not from an unwillingness to get
involved”, said Bryan Crabb, legislative assistant.
The bill would
also entail a Youth Voter Corps, which would reach out to
students to help them get directly involved in events such
as campaigns and voter registration, according to Crabb.
Associated Students
Inc. at Cal State Long Beach is also considering a project
which may increase voter turnout. The idea of an on-campus
voting booth for the November elections has been brought up,
according to Gina Garcia, administrator of A.S.I.
“We are identifying
out projects for the year and that’s something we would like
to take on,” Garcia said.
Students that would
like to get more involved can contact Rock the Vote at (310)
234-0666.
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