America’s youth vote disappoints again

By: LaToya Hopkins

What did youth do in this historic election?

Voting records for the 2008 presidential election are rolling in and again America's youth did not turnout in the record numbers that were expected.

In the 2004 election 17 percent of 18-29 year olds voted and in the election 18 percent of 18-29 year olds voted. With all the rhetoric about the importance of the youth vote there was a mere one percent increase. Following all the support Obama gained from youth while campaigning they didn’t make it to the polls.

The Obama campaign for change, utilized current technology that today’s youth gravitates towards like facebook, text messaging, and email but that effects look minuscule. Colleges held rallies and dorm storms to register young voters but even those techniques proved unsuccessful.

Obama gained a large number of votes from black youth, right?

Wrong, Historically Black Colleges and Universities were again unable to get there students to the polls in large numbers. North Carolina A&T State University, Winston Salem State University, and Bennett College all HBCU’s in North Carolina a battle ground state had numerous voter registration rallies on campus leading up to the election but they seem to have been ineffective. Now that the numbers are in one thing is clear, even black youth didn’t vote in large numbers.

One example, the precinct on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University where 3,298 registered to vote and only 1,746 turned out to vote.

With today’s youth looking at Obama’s win in the election as a victory that played a major part in how will the voting trend ever improve. When will youth in America realize the power in the right to vote and take advantage of that power?