iCitizenForum by Colonial Williamsburg

Youth Voter Turnout Key in Iowa

The increase in the youth vote boosted the number of Iowans who caucused last night. The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) reported 11 percent of eligible Iowans under 30 caucused in 2008, compared with four percent who caucused in 2004. CIRCLE’s research supports Rock the Vote’s Heather Smith’s belief that young men and women are no longer politically apathetic. View our interviews with CIRCLE’s director Peter Levine and Heather Smith .

Mike Huckabee’s and Barrack Obama’s campaigns courted young voters, worked to create a sense of excitement and youthful buzz around their campaigns, and won. The impact of youth in the rest of the caucuses and primaries is something to watch.