More Proof of a Big Year

Working at Rock the Vote, it's pretty clear this election year is something special. Our phones are ringing off the hook with people wanting to volunteer, get registered, find out where to vote, partner up to get out the vote - it's cool.

And, of course, young voter turnout has double, tripled or quadrupled in just about every primary or caucus so far. That's nothing to sneeze at.

So check this out - more proof. The charts below are from a report Rock the Vote put out today with the latest stats from some of the top pollsters.

We're paying attention...


...we're psyched about the candidates...


...and we're keyed into big issues.



Just more proof (if you needed it!) that 2008 is the Year of the Youth Vote.

New Young Voter Polling

The latest volume of Rock the Vote's Polling Young Voters is available. Key findings are below and the full report is available here. (PDF)

Key findings:

• Young voters are attuned to the presidential debates - 77% report watching them, compared to 64% of voters of all ages. (Pew Research Center)
• In the primary races, young Democrats are most heavily in favor of Clinton and Obama; young Republicans are leaning toward Giuliani, Romney and Thompson. Many on both sides of the aisle have yet to make up their minds. (Rasmussen, NH Institute of Politics, CBS/NY Times)
• When asked with which political party they identify, 32-42% identify as Republican or Republican-leaning and 37-49% identify as Democratic or Democratic-leaning. (RT Strategies, Democracy Corps, Rasmussen)
  

For more, see Polling Young Voters VII.

Poll: 18-30-Year-Olds to Play Major Role in 2008 Elections

Today, Rock the Vote, WWE®’s Smackdown Your Vote!®, and Sacred Heart University released a new nationwide poll of 18-30-year-olds that indicates young voters are likely to play a major role in the 2008 elections, going to the polls motivated by concerns over the war in Iraq, health care, the economy, and the cost of education.

The poll found that Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani are currently the top primary choices among 18-30-year-old Democrats and Republicans.

From the news release:

“Young voters are a potential powerhouse in the 2008 elections,” said Kat Barr, research director with Rock the Vote. “This poll is yet another indicator that candidates who want to win in 2008 must court this large and increasingly active group of voters.” After declining nearly continuously for three decades, 18-29-year-olds’ voter turnout has increased in the past two major elections. In 2004, 4.3 million more voters under 30 cast ballots than had in 2000 – the total 18-29-year-old vote, 20.1 million, rivaled in size the much sought-after over-65 vote (23 million). Youth turnout also increased in 2006, by 1.9 million over 2002 levels.

Key findings:

Increasingly Engaged and Positive
• More than three-quarters (77%) indicated they are paying a “great deal” of attention to the November 2008 presidential election, much higher rates than found in similar polling from this time in 2003.
• A large majority (87%) report they plan to vote in November 2008, and 85% believe that their vote counts, up from 75% one year ago. (SHU 9/06 poll)

Top Issues
• Top issues are the war in Iraq (28%), health care (22%), the economy (14%), and education (13%).
• When asked whether they agreed with certain statements, 82% reported they are concerned with college affordability, 68% said global warming is a real and growing threat, and 65% said the U.S. government should provide universal health care to all.
• On Iraq, 49% of 18-30-year-olds said the U.S. should withdraw immediately. When asked about the surge, 49% said that it appears to be helping the situation.

Vote Choice
• Among young Democrats, Hillary Clinton was the top choice to win the Democratic primary (54%), followed by Barack Obama (24%), and John Edwards (8.4%).
• Among young Republicans, Rudy Giuliani received the most primary support (32%), followed by Fred Thompson (20%), Mitt Romney (16%), and John McCain (13%).
• For the November 2008 general election, 56% of 18-30-year-olds chose a Democrat as their preferred candidate, while 39% selected Republican candidates.

For the news release and full poll results, see Rock the Vote's website or visit Sacred Heart University.