Staying in Droves - The Vaunted Youth Vote

Year after year, we hear about how the "youth vote" will change the race. Young people supposedly inspired by the Democratic candidate will come to the polls in droves. Year after year, it never materializes.

This year, not only has the news media touted the likely turnout, but polling companies have included higher than usual percentages of youth and people with their polling data, leading to large polling leads for Obama. Early reports indicate that they are lagging, once again.

Of course they are. Many don't have a vested interest in the government... they don't pay any taxes or rely heavily on any services. So as much as they might think Obama is cool, they don't like standing in line even more.

ReviewJournal - Analysts have predicted that new voters, young voters and Hispanic voters will turn out in record numbers in this election. But as Nevadans continue to flock to the polls, turnout among those three groups is lagging, at least in the early going.

While turnout statewide was nearly 25 percent through Sunday, it was just 20 percent among Hispanic voters, 14 percent among voters under 30 and 15 percent among those who didn't vote in the last three elections, according to an analysis of state early voting records through Sunday prepared by America Votes, an organization that works to mobilize voters....

Traditionally, older people, whites and people who vote consistently tend to turn out at the highest rates overall, said David Damore, a political scientist at UNLV. But this year, much has been made of the idea that the youth vote, the Hispanic vote and first-time voters would turn out at unprecedented rates, galvanized by a heightened political climate and the candidacy of Democratic nominee Barack Obama.

"I would have expected those numbers to be a little higher," Damore said. "At the same time, the people who come out for early voting may tend to be the tried and true."