November 2012


www.hamptonroadsmessenger.com


Youth Voter Turnout Remains High, Key to Obama Victory in Swing States


BY ANNA CHALLET In Tuesday’s general election,


youth voter turnout remained at 2008 levels, despite previous polls showing that enthusiasm was down in 2012.


According to national exit polls


analyzed by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University, 49.3 percent of people under the age of 30 who are eligible to vote made it to the polls, and that number is expected to be as high as 51 percent by the time all remaining precincts have reported. At this point in 2008, the number was 48.3 percent, and rose to 52 percent after results were in from all precincts. These voters represent 19 percent of the general voting population.


In 1996, 37 percent of eligible


youth voters turned out at the polls. In 2000, that number was 41 percent.


Heather Smith, President of Rock


the Vote, said at a press conference Wednesday morning that these numbers “established a fairly decent pattern that this generation is different from their older brothers and sisters … We’re treating this as a beginning, a new normal.”


60 percent of voters under 30 cast a


vote for Barack Obama, and 37 percent cast a vote for Mitt Romney. Assuming that Florida is called for the President (as of this printing, Florida is the only state yet to be called, with Obama holding a 0.6 percent lead), the battleground states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Florida will all go to Obama on the strength of the youth vote, according to CIRCLE Director Peter Levine.


CIRCLE and Rock the Vote say


that if younger voters hadn’t shown up to the polls in these states, Romney would be celebrating a victory. In all four states, Obama won over 60 percent of the youth vote. CIRCLE reports that if Romney had carried the support of closer to half of young voters, or if voters in this age group hadn’t come out as strongly for Obama, Romney would have won these states. Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Florida account for 80 electoral votes, which would have been enough for Romney to win the presidency.


According to Smith, organizations


like Rock the Vote successfully fought back against many states’ voter ID laws concerning student ID cards; Tennessee is the only state that continues to not accept student ID cards at all. She says that the bigger problem has been the confusion caused by the “back and forth” public discussion of these laws.


In Pennsylvania, for example,


by the time of the election, the state government had communicated that it would allow poll workers to ask voters for identification, but voters were not legally required to show it. This amounted to “state-implemented” confusion, according to Smith.


There are currently 46 million


people between the ages of 18 and 29 in the United States.


2ND


ANNUAL CHESAPEAKE CONFERENCE CENTER THANKSGIVING FEAST


Thursday, November 22, 2012 ● 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM


Adults $25.00 / Children $18.00/ Children 3 years and under eat free (Price Includes All Service Charge & Taxes)


RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED & HAVE TO BE PAID IN FULL PRIOR TO THANKSGIVING Each Reservation is Limited To a 2 Hour Seating Time


SA A A L D B R:


Tossed Salad to include: Tomatoes, Onions, Carrots, Cucumbers, Garbanzo Beans, Cottage Cheese, Cheddar, Croutons, Fresh Fruit Sal- ad, Cheese & Meat Tray, Potato Salad, Cranberry Sauce, Pickles and Olives


SOUP :


Pumpkin Soup Chesapeake Seafood Chowder


C V G S AT N AR IN T IO :


Virginia Honey Glazed Ham Pepper Encrusted Roast Beef


(Included: Rolls, Mustard, Mayonnaise, Horseradish Sauce and Chutney) DESSE


RT :


Pumpkin Trifle; Pecan Pie; Lemon Curd Crème Brûlée; Cheese Cake; Caramel Apple Cheese Cake with Streusel Topping; Chocolate Mousse with Strawberries; Banana Cream Pie, Carrot Cake and Chocolate Fondue


To Make Reservations


Visit Us At: www.chesapeakeconference.com, e-mail JAOLIVER@cityofchesapeake.net


or call us at 757-382-2510 for more information NO REFUNDS!


B FFE : U T


Oven Roasted Turkey with Corn Bread Sage Stuffing and Turkey Gravy Tilapia Stuffed with Crab in Old Bay Shrimp Cream Sauce


Chicken Stuffed with Broccoli and Cheese Green Bean Casserole Collard Greens with Ham Hock Corn Pudding Macaroni and Cheese Pie


Mashed Potatoes Bar with Bacon, Green Onions, Sour Cream, Butter, Cheddar and Gravy Bourbon Maple Sweet Potatoes


DRI K NS: Iced Tea; Coffee; Hot Tea; and a Cash Beverage Bar


The Hampton Roads Messenger 7


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