Youth Vote aims to increase student political activism

Across the state of Massachusetts today, voters will head to the polls for the gubernatorial primary. But few of those voters are likely to be college students.

While voter turnout for the general public has slowed in recent years _ 50 percent of Americans voted in the last election _ the numbers are even worse among college students. Turnout among 18-25 year-olds was only nine percent in that election, but a group called Youth Vote is working to change that statistic.

Youth Vote is a national coalition of over 90 national members and over 1,500 local and state members whose goal is to register thousands of students to vote. The group focuses its effort on many college campuses around the country, including Tufts.

"We want to get young people to vote at least at the same levels as other age groups and possibly surpass them," said Laura Makinen, a Youth Vote campus organizer.

Students who are involved with Youth Vote attribute voter apathy among their age group to the bubble that tends to exist around college campuses.

"Everyone is always so busy with classes and extracurriculars that it's hard to stay informed on election issues," senior Madelyn Medeiros said. "It's also really easy to let Election Day slip by without going to the polls."

Young people aren't truly apathetic, as most people assume, argues Laura Makinen, a Youth Vote campus organizer. They are passionate about volunteering but tend to opt out of politics because they are disillusioned with the politicians.

"We're caught in a cycle of neglect," Makinen said. "Young people don't vote, so politicians don't address issues important to them." Many students have issues they want addressed, including affordable housing, student loans, and the environment.

Tufts' active student body and commitment to changing the world made it a desirable place for Youth Vote to exercise its mission.

"Engaging people in the political process in our country is a necessary step in effecting major social change, and Youth Vote was brought to Tufts because Tufts students are very responsive to Youth Vote," Makinen said. "The student body at Tufts is extremely active and committed to working to change the world."

There are three main steps Youth Vote takes in trying to increase voter participation among students. The first is registering students to vote through large voter-registration drives. The second is educating the new voters through forums, debates, studies and polls. The final step is reminding people to actually go to the polls and vote on Election Day.

Youth Vote is beginning to show a presence on the Tufts campus. Several groups have expressed interest in Youth Vote's activities, including Tufts Democrats, Tufts Republicans, the Leonard Carmichael Society, United Leaders, and Tufts Hillel. Last year, the TCU Senate passed a resolution in support of Youth Vote and its projects.

The group is also being aided by the debate society.

"I think that Youth Vote is a very important organization as it focuses on

something which is all too often overlooked in American politics: youth," Debate Society President Daniel Mandell said. "...one of the most undemocratic things you can do, a crime against America, is to be ignorant of who is running your country."

Youth Vote is hoping to put on a gubernatorial debate focused on youth issues for the upcoming election, according to Mandell. In conjunction with registering students to vote, Youth Vote hopes to work with University administration to help it to provide voting information to students. Youth Vote also wants to plan educational programs with campus groups to promote awareness of the issues involved in this fall's elections.

"Youth Vote is non-partisan," Medeiros said. "So our goal is to inform young people about all candidates' platforms so that they can make their own decisions and voice their opinion through voting."

When Election Day grows nearer, Youth Vote wants to plan a large "Get Out to Vote" campaign, reminding students to vote as well as telling them where the polling stations are.

For students who are registered to vote in states other than Massachusetts, Youth Vote educates about absentee ballots, and gets them info about how to obtain them. "We encourage people to vote wherever they want to," Makinen said.

The first Youth Vote coalition was held in 1994 with 17 national non-profit organizations. Today, some of its national organizations include the League of Women's Voters and MTV's Rock the Vote. It also consists of many local and state organizations. Here in Massachusetts, some of these are Mass Perk, Dump the Vote and Boston Vote. All these organizations are committed to educating students on the importance of voting.

"Voting is one of the simplest and most direct ways to make a difference," Medeiros said. "If politicians realize that young people are a strong presence at the polls, they'll be much more likely to pay attention to issues that are important to us."



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