Young Voters Turn Up but they don't Turn Out
In the 2012 presidential election, 71.9% of people age 65 and over voted. In that same election, what percent of people age 18-24 voted?
How accurate was your prediction? *(In midterm elections, youth voter turnout is cut by almost half.)
Are you surprised by the size of the gap in the voting turnout for those age groups?
What do you think accounts for that voting gap?
What is one consequence of this gap?
How do you think this gap affects the behavior of major presidential candidates?
Is this voting gap good news or bad news?
In 2008 and in 2012, almost 2/3 of 18-24 year old voters cast a vote for Barack Obama, why do you think younger voters tend to prefer Democrats to Republicans?
Write your own question about this information:
What would change if those voting rates were reversed?
In the comments section, explain whether you intend to vote when you turn 18:
