Record Youth Turnout in California
California Political Desk
February 06, 2008
California Young Democratic Voters Nearly Doubled.
SACRAMENTO – Young Democrats flooded the polls yesterday to pick the next President of the United States. More than 852,459 young voters under-30 cast ballots and 74 percent of the young voters who turned out to the polls voted for Democrats. 631,292 young voters cast ballots in the Democratic primary which nearly doubled that of the 2004 Primary (341,837). Young people turned out in such high record numbers around California, that for instance, Berkeley polling locations were held open an additional two hours to accommodate University of California, Berkeley students who flooded the polls on Super Tuesday.
California Young Democrats worked to get young people out to the polls through peer-to-peer phone banks, get out the vote email campaigns, and by utilizing social networking sites to remind people about Election Day and direct voters to their polling place. The California Young Democrats and the California Democratic Party, made every effort possible to make sure Decline to State voters knew they were welcome to request a Democratic Party ballot. Our efforts paid off. The youth share of the electorate this election was 16 percent, an increase of 7 percent over 2004. Young people delivered, continuing to vote overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates, choosing to end the war in Iraq, bring economic recovery to the middle class, and fight for college affordability, climate change, and affordable health care instead of affirming the failed Bush agenda.
"Record youth turnout for this primary is just the beginning," said Tim Steed, CYD President. "The Young Voter Revolution will continue into June and November and young people will be the margin of victory for Democrats up and down the ticket. No matter which candidate they choose in the primary, the youth vote momentum is with Democrats for the general election."
Throughout this Presidential primary season, youth voters have been heavily targeted by the Democratic Presidential campaigns, receiving more attention from campaigns than ever before. Students for Barack Obama and the Hillblazers have done a phenomenal job of reaching this crucial demographic with youth-centered campaigns. With 51 percent of youth turning out for Senator Hillary Clinton, and 47 percent for Senator Barack Obama, it is evident that young voters were swayed by the candidates who invested resources in talking to young voters. See: Clintons Crisscross State Trying to Draw Youth Voters.
"Thank you to the Democratic Presidential campaigns, for showing that when campaigns target young voters we turn out to vote," said Nick Warshaw, President of the California College Democrats. "We are thrilled to be finally treated as a valuable demographic with individual qualities and concerns. With ever-rising tuition costs, and the need for universal healthcare and a real plan to fight global warming, young people are the present of the Democratic Party and will be the future to carry its values on to the next generation. Thank you for the energy you have put into working with us, and for treating us as voters, not just as volunteers."
The California Young Democrats have already started preparing to increase young voter turnout for our June primary. We're motivated. We're energized. We're passionate about our future and inspired by the Democratic Party and its candidates. And in 2008 we will continue to be the margin of victory.
"Young people aren't just voting in record numbers – they're voting overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates," said David Hardt, President of the Young Democrats of America. "In early primaries and caucuses and now again on Super Tuesday, young people strongly supported Democrats over Republicans. This is a continuation of the trends we saw in past election cycles, where Democrats won the youth vote 54-44% in 2004 and 60-40% in 2006."
SACRAMENTO – Young Democrats flooded the polls yesterday to pick the next President of the United States. More than 852,459 young voters under-30 cast ballots and 74 percent of the young voters who turned out to the polls voted for Democrats. 631,292 young voters cast ballots in the Democratic primary which nearly doubled that of the 2004 Primary (341,837). Young people turned out in such high record numbers around California, that for instance, Berkeley polling locations were held open an additional two hours to accommodate University of California, Berkeley students who flooded the polls on Super Tuesday.
California Young Democrats worked to get young people out to the polls through peer-to-peer phone banks, get out the vote email campaigns, and by utilizing social networking sites to remind people about Election Day and direct voters to their polling place. The California Young Democrats and the California Democratic Party, made every effort possible to make sure Decline to State voters knew they were welcome to request a Democratic Party ballot. Our efforts paid off. The youth share of the electorate this election was 16 percent, an increase of 7 percent over 2004. Young people delivered, continuing to vote overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates, choosing to end the war in Iraq, bring economic recovery to the middle class, and fight for college affordability, climate change, and affordable health care instead of affirming the failed Bush agenda.
"Record youth turnout for this primary is just the beginning," said Tim Steed, CYD President. "The Young Voter Revolution will continue into June and November and young people will be the margin of victory for Democrats up and down the ticket. No matter which candidate they choose in the primary, the youth vote momentum is with Democrats for the general election."
Throughout this Presidential primary season, youth voters have been heavily targeted by the Democratic Presidential campaigns, receiving more attention from campaigns than ever before. Students for Barack Obama and the Hillblazers have done a phenomenal job of reaching this crucial demographic with youth-centered campaigns. With 51 percent of youth turning out for Senator Hillary Clinton, and 47 percent for Senator Barack Obama, it is evident that young voters were swayed by the candidates who invested resources in talking to young voters. See: Clintons Crisscross State Trying to Draw Youth Voters.
"Thank you to the Democratic Presidential campaigns, for showing that when campaigns target young voters we turn out to vote," said Nick Warshaw, President of the California College Democrats. "We are thrilled to be finally treated as a valuable demographic with individual qualities and concerns. With ever-rising tuition costs, and the need for universal healthcare and a real plan to fight global warming, young people are the present of the Democratic Party and will be the future to carry its values on to the next generation. Thank you for the energy you have put into working with us, and for treating us as voters, not just as volunteers."
The California Young Democrats have already started preparing to increase young voter turnout for our June primary. We're motivated. We're energized. We're passionate about our future and inspired by the Democratic Party and its candidates. And in 2008 we will continue to be the margin of victory.
"Young people aren't just voting in record numbers – they're voting overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates," said David Hardt, President of the Young Democrats of America. "In early primaries and caucuses and now again on Super Tuesday, young people strongly supported Democrats over Republicans. This is a continuation of the trends we saw in past election cycles, where Democrats won the youth vote 54-44% in 2004 and 60-40% in 2006."
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