"NC Early Voting Day 5: Young Voters Are Psyched - Age 19-24 Turnout up 39.7%"

NC Early Voting Day 5: Young Voters Are Psyched - Age 19-24 Turnout up 39.7%

by MattTX at the Daily Kos

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/23/1148329/-NC-Early-Voting-Day-5-Young-Voters-Are-Psyched-Age-18-24-Turnout-Up-39-7

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What we see is very interesting. The spike in college-aged voters is clearly evident. The rate of increased turnout above 2008 is highest for college-age voters, until you get to senior citizens. In between, for voters age 25-29 and for middle aged voters generally, the increase is not as strong. And then of course are the seniors. Part of the increase in senior voting is from White Republicans, who are older than the general population. But part of the increase also comes from increased turnout among older White Democrats and Minorities.

But back to the young people - what is perhaps even more impressive about the increase in turnout among college-aged voters is that UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke, NC-State, and presumably some other universities have been on Fall Break during at least part of the early vote period (according to commenters kayak58 and dean4ever, among others). So, many students were not even in-state, much less on campus!

If there is any age group that can be called "unenthusiastic" about voting, it's not young voters - and most certainly not the youngest of the young voters (college students). It's middle-aged voters. But still, voting is up at least to some extent among all age categories.

College-aged voters are clearly very enthusiastic about voting in North Carolina. Turnout is also up among voters age 25-29, although not by nearly so much. Because most of these voters do not live on college campuses, and because many have recently moved, it can be harder for campaigns to find them and turn them out.
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