Voting Project

After meeting in class, I decided to change my demographic to a more specific category. I am going to make my new audience be White Americans aged 18-24 who do not attend a four-year college full time. The vast majority of young people are not in college; in fact, only an estimated 25% of 18-24 year olds attend college. Commonly called the Millennial Generation or Generation Y, young voters rival the Baby Boomers in size and are the most diverse generation in history. Although increased voter turnout among young voters is a trend and most young voters are engaged in and concerned about politics, there will always be some people that just don't care or that need the motivation to do it! I am going to target the young Americans who are not enrolled in college, whether its because they are working full time, can't afford it, or for other reasons. I think the young eligible Americans that don't vote just need to be informed and pushed to the voting poll.  

(Youth Statistics)

QUESTIONS:

1. shared values: a good and well paying job, church (faith and religion), relationships, friends, family, entertainment, and personal time. 

2. political policies and issues concerning them: healthcare, high college tuition costs, war in Iraq, struggling economy (poverty), etc.

3. cultural references: drugs and alcohol, fast food, television and internet. computers, sports, exercising, and other activities that draw young peoples attentions. 

4. graphic landscape: internet, technology (ipods, video games, cellphones, etc), television, commercials, magazines, billboards, radio and music, and other forms of communication that they use on a daily basis.

5. reason for not voting:  not informed, too busy; conflicting schedule, illness or disability, not interested, out of town, did not like candidates or campaign issues. some just don't think its important if they don't vote. 

MORE RESEARCH: CivicYouth 
-In 2004, 60% of eligible young people were registered to vote.

-In 2004, 47% of 18-24 year old citizens voted.

-In 2006, 18% of young voters had no college education.  

-In 2006, there were an estimated 16.2 million 18-25 year old American residents who had no college experience. This constituted roughly 50% of the estimated total of 32.1 million 18-25 year old residents in America. Non-college attending young Americans have consistently voted at levels below college attending youth in both presidential and midterm election years.

-In 2006, non-college youth had an 8.3% volunteer rate, while youth with college experience reported a higher rate of 24.4%. 

-48% of 18-25 year olds in the military are youth with no college experience. 

The most effective way of getting a new voter is the in-person door knock by a peer (least effective is an automated phone call) Telling a new voter where to vote, when to vote and how to use the voting machines increases turnout. If a young person is motivated to get to the polls once, they are more likely to return.