Youth Vote Surging: New Hampshire and Beyond

Record voter turnout is expected today in New Hampshire, with youth (ages 18-29) turning out big once again. Youth turnout more than tripled in Iowa, due in large part to youth mobilization efforts.

As part of the Student PIRGs’ national What’s Your Plan? campaign, NHPIRG has been organizing young people to turn out to vote. Hundreds of volunteers have appeared at town halls, fundraisers, and photo-ops in New Hampshire and across the country, and in New Hampshire, to ask all of the candidates: What’s Your Plan? on key youth issues like global warming and health care. We have already spoken with the candidates more than 100 times.

In addition, students on campuses from California to Colorado, Florida to Wisconsin, and New Mexico to Pennsylvania are working with the Student PIRGs to mobilize young people through tested peer to peer registration and get out the vote drives. Nationally young people comprise one-quarter of the U.S. electorate, and big voting blocs in many states.

Quick Youth Facts

Number of College Students in Key ’08 States

FL 873,000
CA 2,400,000
CO 303,000
NM 131,000
PA 692,000
NH 70,000
SC 210,000
WI 335,000

Approximate Number of Eligible Young Voters in Key ’08 States (2006)*

FL 2,200,000

CA 4,600,000

CO 637,000

NM 277,000

PA 1,900,000

NH 172,000

SC 653,000

WI 758,000

For more information contact: Sujatha Jahagirdar, 213-251-3690 x321 (o), 323-309-6120 (c), Sujatha@studentpirgs.org

New Hampshire Public Interest Research Group’s (NHPIRG) mission is to deliver persistent, result-oriented public interest activism that protects consumers, encourages a fair, sustainable economy, and fosters responsive, democratic government

The Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project is the nation’s largest youth voter mobilization program. Since 2004, we have registered more than 600,000 young people and made more than 650,000 peer to peer voter turnout contacts to get young people to the polls on Election Day. Due in large part to our efforts, the youth vote increased by 4.3 million votes, or 9% in 2004 and an analysis of our work in 2006 found that in the student dense precincts in which we worked, the youth vote increased on average by 157%.

*The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement, Quick Facts About Young Voters Series, available at www.civicyouth.org/PopUps/FactSheets/FS_FastFacts2006

Sujatha Jahagirdar

Program Director

Student PIRGs' New Voters Project

3435 Wilshire Blvd, Ste 385

Los Angeles, CA 90010

t 213 251 3680 ext. 321

f 213 251 3699

e sujatha@studentpirgs.org

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