From the start of the election season, young voters have energized Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Whether they turn out in high numbers Tuesday remains an open question.
At Virginia Tech, Young Democrats President Dan Geroe, 21, said he felt a new energy among younger voters, and a higher level of engagement in the issues compared with past election years.
“Basically, I am impressed by how knowledgeable students are about this election,” Geroe said. “When we go door to door, we see younger people paying attention, and they know what’s going on.”
That’s good news to Linda Wyatt, 60, a former Roanoke City councilwoman and longtime Democratic activist who for years has despaired at the disengagement of the younger generation.
“It is absolutely awesome,” Wyatt said. “My generation were really the last time people were this committed, and for years I have been looking behind me and thinking, ‘These kids don’t get it, they are wrapped up in themselves and don’t get the big picture.’ ”
Campaign organizers know that older voters such as Wyatt tend to be dedicated voters who turn out reliably on Election Day or for early voting. Democrats are hoping that young voters will remain committed enough to help Obama in what appears to be a tightening race.
In Virginia, about 40 percent of the estimated 400,000 new voters registered this year are under 25, according to the State Board of Elections.
Wyatt said the current youth movement reminded her strongly of the 1960s, when her own political activism took shape.
“There is just a sense of hope and engagement that I haven’t seen in politics since I was a teenager and college age,” Wyatt said.
An Associated Press/Yahoo News poll earlier this month found that 60 percent of voters nationwide ages 18 to 29 support Obama, 33 percent support Republican John McCain and 5 percent support independent candidate Ralph Nader.
Asked to describe how they felt about this year’s election, 61 percent of young voters said “interested” and 48 percent said “hopeful.”
Geroe said he’s finding that most young voters he’s talking to have already made their choices in the race, one way or another.
“In past campaigns, even this late in the race, I would come across people who hadn’t made up their minds or really weren’t paying attention,” Geroe said. “This year, I don’t see many of those. Most people have made their decision by the time we go talk to them.”
Geroe added, “Maybe that means good stuff for our generation.”
