Voting: Age and Participation

1
Voting Age and Participation

• By Jerry Coppola

2
Political Participation

• Political activities, such as voting, contacting
  political officials, volunteering for a campaign,
  or participating in a protest, whose purpose is
  to influence government

3
Rarely The Target

• 2000 elections showed 64 of advertisements went
  to population over 50
• Same elections showed only 14.2 for 18-34 age
  group
• Elderly are organized and have representation to
  influence political issues
• 2004 68.9 of elderly voted whereas, 41 of 18
  20 and 42.5 of 21 - 24
• This creates a vicious circle the less
  political campaigns appeal to younger voters, the
  less likely they are to participate, and the less
  they participate, the less likely they will be
  targeted by political campaigns. (We The People
  pp.287)

4
Appealing

• Rock the Vote-established in1990
• Vote for Change-2004, October music tour to
  benefit MoveOn.org against Bush
• Citizen Change-2004, backed by P. Diddy, Mary J.
  Blige, Mariah Carey, 50 Cent
• Redeem the Vote

5
Obstacles

• Low Education
• Young adults give little priority even if
  educated
• Registration requirements greater burden due too
  more movement

6
Facts and Figures

• Europe doesnt have registration
• Government handles all registration which results
  in great turnouts
• Personal registration requirements diminish the
  electorate, leaving only the better educated,
  also those with higher income and social status,
  and finally composing of fewer young, African
  Americans, and other minorities

7
Contd

• Minnesotas same day registration aided in former
  wrestler Jesse The Body Venturas 1998
  nomination.
• Registration assistance helped in raising
  participation in 18 24 age range 10 from 32.3
  in 2000 to 41.9 in 2004.
• Total Vote 1960 64, 1996 49, 2004 59
• 18 24 age group 2000 36 2004 47

8
Works Cited

• Child Trends Data Bank Youth Voting
  www.childtrendsdatabank.org
• Circle The Center for Information and Research
  on Civic Learning and Engagement
  www.civicyouth.org/quick/youth_voti
  ng.htm
• Ginsberg, Benjamin, Lowi Theodore J., Weir,
  Margaret. We The People. New York London Sixth
  Edition. 2007.
• Williams, Julia A.. On the Popular Vote.
  Political Research Quarterly, Vol.58, No. 4.
  (Dec., 2005) pp. 637-646.
• Citizen Change http//www.behaviordesign.com/work/
  case_studies/images/ctz/canned_site/home.html
• Redeem the Vote
  http//www.redeemthevote.co
  m/
• Rock the Vote
  http//www.rockthevote.com/home.
  php
• Vote for Change
  
  http//vote4change.net/
• Wikipedia
  http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma
  in_Page