Why Vote?

The Problem:
Since gaining the right to vote in 1972, young people have been turning out to vote in declining numbers. The low point came during the 2000 election, one of the closest in United States history, when less than half the eligible 18- to 24-year-old population cast their ballots (36.1%).

Though we saw significant gains in the youth vote in 2004 - 47% of 18-24 year old voters turned out, a remarkable increase of 11 percentage points over 2000 - it does not mean that the hurdles to youth voter participation are cleared. Youth voting rates remain substantially lower than those of older voters (66% in 2004), and the majority of young people remain unconvinced that voting is an effective tool to better their communities. We are making progress, but there is more work to be done.