January 9, 2008

UPDATE:

CIRCLE has updated their numbers again after all of the ballots were finally counted. The young voter count now stands at 84,232 voters under 30.

New Hampshire was a much needed win for Hillary Clinton. And we saw a different Senator on a stage filled with young people. This was a very different group than the old throwbacks to the ’90s that we saw in Iowa. Campaign staff conveyed to reporters that it was young voters who made the difference. Similarly, you saw a much more warm and fuzzy Senator who spoke extensively about “us” and “we” where before it was “me” and “my campaign.”

Right now the student data I can report is that in Iowa young voters made up 22% of voters where in New Hampshire they only made up 17%.

CNN reported astounding successes for Obama in college towns and with the 18- to 25-year-olds. But the 25- to 30-year-old votes were evenly split between Clinton and Obama. Similarly, women who broke for Obama went for Clinton in New Hampshire.

CIRCLE’s numbers report a 37% turnout for voters under 30. There is a chance it’ll be higher tomorrow when all the votes are tallied but thus far over 72,000 young voters voted.

And the YD’s have declared 2008 the Year of the Young Voter. Get ready, y’all–this election is going to be ours!

With such success in getting young people out to vote, Young Voter PAC is doubling up to get more young people to the polls in New Hampshire too.

“Young voters played a huge role in deciding the outcome of that election and led the charge for change. We are challenging you to beat that number on January 8th when we all head to the polls.”

Take the pledge on Facebook that you will be one of at least 52,580 in New Hampshire.

Need help finding your polling place?

Are you are a student on winter break and need gas money to get back to your campus polling location so you can vote?

This weekend presidential candidate Hillary Clinton began a serious kumbaya with the primary electorate. Having been so unexpectedly trounced by independent and young voters in Iowa, the Clinton team changed strategies, admitting an error in judgment.

“I did very, very well with people over 45,” she told a slew of reporters at the Gala Diner in Manchester. “I didn’t do as well with people under 30, and I take responsibility for that. So I’m going to, in the next five days, do as much as I can to talk about my record in creating opportunities for young people.”

This won’t be an easy task, as the folks over at DoubleSpeak show us in their examination into New Hampshire’s youth, who seem more passionate about Republican Mike Huckabee and Democrat Barack Obama.

New Hampshire is actually a difficult state to predict. In 2006 it saw a drop in youth voter turnout, making it 45th in the nation. (CIRCLE pdf) But the huge increase in Iowa, which has scored a lot of media attention, in addition to candidates actively recruiting the younger electorate, might just do the trick.

As it stands in New Hampshire now, 18- to 29-year-olds continue to prefer Obama by 42% and Clinton and Edwards are both tied at 21%, says Rasmussen Reports.

Also interesting about these young voters is their general election vote leanings. According to Rasmussen if Clinton is the democratic nominee only 51% of 18- to 29-year-olds want to vote for her. That compared to 79% for Obama and 65% for John Edwards.

(click for larger view)

Republicans by contrast are more in favor of John McCain (29%), followed closely behind by Ron Paul (27%).

By contrast, 54% of 18- to 29-year-olds will support Giuliani if he is the nominee. Thirty-seven % support Romney, 42% support Huckabee, 39% are for Fred Thompson, 51% for Ron Paul and 54% for John McCain.

One thing is for certain, they are all going to do whatever it takes in the next 24 hours. Here’s hoping young voters continue to make their mark, regardless of the candidate.