DNC Youth Council Speaks Out about Strong Democratic Turnout of Younger Voters

Yesterday in downtown Denver, at the Wells Fargo Theater in the convention center, College Democrats of America came together to talk about the “Nuts and Bolts” of younger Democratic voters. Lead by DNC Youth council Co-Chairs Jane Fleming Kleeb and Jason Rae, along with a panel that included CNN correspondent Jamal Simmons.

The Youth Council was quick to point out a major shift since 2000 of younger voters moving to the Democratic Party. In 2000 of voters 18-25, 46% voted for the Republican Party and 48% voted for the Democratic Party. In 2008 that same demographic is expected to split 34% to 65% in favor of the Democratic Party.

What’s the cause for this major shift? The Youth Council credited many different methods. A major issue touched on was lower barriers and making it easier to register. The panelists agreed that some younger voters are too embarrassed to admit that they aren’t registered. Rock the Vote uses a tool on their website that helps younger people register without feeling that embarrassment. A group called the Pink Bunnies dresses up in pink bunny costumes to try and alleviate any stress there might be of registering to vote.

The Youth Council also pointed out that in the last presidential election 82% of registered voters 18-25 came out to vote. This high number was attributed to many of the different and news ways to register, but Jamal Simmons noted the fact that networks like CNN use younger and more diverse correspondents help to engage younger voters in political discourse.

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