NEW
VOTERS PROJECT POSTS HUGE VOTE INCREASES
Average
Turnout in Targeted Precincts More Than Doubles, More Than 6 Times the National Average for Young
Adult
Average young voter turnout among
college students in precincts targeted by the Student PIRGs’ New Voters
Project doubled over the 2002 election, more than six times the national average for
young adults with turnout in some precincts increasing up to five times over
2002, according to an Election Night analysis by the Center for Information and
Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE).
This makes 2006 the third straight year where young voter
turnout increased. In 2004, 18-24 year old turnout surged by 11
percentage points, three times the rate of the general population. And in
2005, an analysis of turnout in youth-dense precincts where the Student
PIRGs’ worked in New Jersey and Virginia showed an
increase of 19% and 15% over 2001 levels, respectively.
The 2006 analysis focused on a set of 36 precincts in Ohio, Connecticut, Iowa, Colorado and Michigan. The precincts
all contained a relatively high concentration of college students, and were
located near universities where nonpartisan Get Out the Vote efforts were
conducted by the Student PIRGs' New Voters Project and other partners. The
analysis compared voter turnout numbers from the 2002 General Election with
yesterday's turnout numbers. Average turnout in those precincts increased
by 157% over 2002. This increase is six times the national average
increase of ballots cast by youth adults (25%, according to an exit poll
analysis conducted by CIRCLE). The complete chart of precincts studied is
below.
Turnout in several of the precincts studied increased
between three to five times. For example, turnout at Precinct 103 at the University of Colorado–Boulder
increased threefold, while turnout at Precinct 1 at the University of Connecticut
increased fivefold.
As election results continue to roll in this morning, even
more examples abound of turnout skyrocketing. For example, all thirteen
student-heavy wards at the University
of Wisconsin Madison
posted increases, with turnout at three wards (42, 46, 60) doubling.
The Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project ran the
nation’s largest nonpartisan youth voter mobilization campaign in a
midterm election this fall, working on over 80 college campuses in 25 states to
register and turnout young people to vote. Over 75,000 students registered
to vote with the Student PIRGs this fall, and as of last night, student PIRG
volunteers contacted 94,593 people to remind them to vote - 53,000 in the last two days.
Students engaged in old fashioned shoe leather and clever visibility tactics to
turn out the vote.
“These numbers demonstrate conclusively that when you
run a traditional campaign targeted at young people, they will turnout in huge
numbers. Politicians are well served to pay attention to young people in
future elections,” said Dave Rosenfeld, Program Director for the Student
PIRGs.
A chart of turnout in student-heavy precincts follows, as
well as a state-by-state Election Day highlights from campuses running the New
Voters Project. The New Voters Project and Young Voter Strategies coordinated
collection of precinct-level turnout with the help and permission of registrars
across the country.
Youth Vote Turnout in
Student-Heavy Precincts
|
State
|
University
|
Precinct #
|
County
|
Total number of votes cast in 2002
|
Total number of votes cast in 2006
|
Percent increase over 2002
|
|
CO
|
UNC
|
315 & 329 (used to be one precinct in 2002)
|
Weld
|
244
|
587
|
140.57%
|
|
CO
|
University of Colorado Boulder
|
102
|
Boulder
|
169
|
470
|
178.11%
|
|
CO
|
University of Colorado Boulder
|
103
|
Boulder
|
72
|
240
|
233.33%
|
|
CO
|
University of Colorado Boulder
|
118
|
Boulder
|
51
|
280
|
449.02%
|
|
CT
|
University of Connecticut
|
1
|
Mansfield
|
129
|
902
|
599.22%
|
|
Iowa
|
Iowa State
U
|
Ames 2-2
|
Story
|
374
|
390
|
4.28%
|
|
Iowa
|
Iowa State
U
|
Ames 4-3
|
Story
|
260
|
310
|
19.23%
|
|
Iowa
|
Iowa State
U
|
Ames 4-4
|
Story
|
237
|
209
|
-11.81%
|
|
Ohio
|
Ohio State
U
|
16A
|
Franklin
|
207
|
296
|
43.00%
|
|
Ohio
|
Ohio State
U
|
16B
|
Franklin
|
252
|
287
|
13.89%
|
|
Ohio
|
Ohio State
U
|
39A
|
Franklin
|
180
|
379
|
110.56%
|
|
Ohio
|
Ohio State
U
|
40B
|
Franklin
|
175
|
327
|
86.86%
|
|
Ohio
|
Ohio State
U
|
41A
|
Franklin
|
103
|
176
|
70.87%
|
|
Ohio
|
Ohio State
U
|
41B
|
Franklin
|
182
|
286
|
57.14%
|
|
Ohio
|
Ohio State
U
|
41C
|
Franklin
|
89
|
173
|
94.38%
|
|
Ohio
|
