Why the Youth Vote Matters in New Hampshire

Contact: Sujatha Jahagirdar 323-309-6120 cell

(1) The youth vote isn’t just hype

For the past three election cycles youth have been showing up in bigger numbers nationally.  In 2006, the youth vote (18-29 year olds) increased by nearly 2 million votes over 2002 levels, nearly 2xs the increase of overall turnout.  The increase was the first in nearly a quarter century during a mid-term election. In 2004, the youth vote (18-29 year olds) surged by 4.3 million votes, or 9%, over 2000 levels. The increase was more than 2xs the increase of all voters.

In 2004, the youth vote in New Hampshire was the highest in more than a decade, and at 58 percent voter turnout, it was up 12 points over 2000 turnout. 

(2) Recent surges in youth voting aren’t a fluke

Research and practice show that when non-partisan groups like the Student PIRGs run personalized, peer to peer youth voter mobilization campaigns that they work. For example, young people contacted by the Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project in 2004 were 13% more likely to turn out to the polls on Election Day, than a group of demographically similar individuals who also registered to vote within six months of the election.

We also know that when candidates reach out to, and target young voters – often and on the issues that youth care most about – that they turn out in bigger numbers.

(3) Young people are engaged

Since the summer, young people in New Hampshire have been engaging the Presidential candidates, one on one, and asking them to spell out their plans on key youth issues.  As part of the Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project What’s Your Plan? campaign hundreds of students across the country have hit the campaign trail to ask all of the candidates: What’s Your Plan? To stop global warming? To make college affordable. To provide effective, affordable health care. To address financial security for Americans.

Making them pay attention to us. This summer and fall students in New Hampshire, attended town halls, fundraisers and picnics asking the candidates, face to face, twenty times what their plans are on key youth issues.

(4) The youth vote matters, especially if the races are close

New Hampshire has approximately 172,000 18-29 year olds who are eligible to vote. With the contests so close, every vote – including the youth vote- will make a difference.

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The Student PIRGs are a national network of statewide student directed and funded organizations that work to solve the public interest problems related to the environment, consumer issues, government reform and low youth voter turnout.

The Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project is the nation’s premier youth voter mobilization program. Since 2004, we’ve used time tested and academically reviewed methods to register nearly more than 600,000 18-30 year olds and made more than 650,000 personalized peer to peer voter turnout contacts to get young people to the polls on Election Day. Due in large part to our work, in 2004 voter turnout among 18-29 year olds spiked by 4.3 million votes, or 9 percent – more than 2xs the increase of the overall electorate.  An analysis of our work in 2006 found that in thirty-six student dense precincts where we and our coalition partners worked, that on average youth voter turnout increased by 157% over 2002 turnout rates. More information about the Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project.