Youth Vote

Producer Lindsay Carr Fuller

It seems that the youth of today are ready--to quote Mahatma Gahndi, "...be the change they wish to see in the world." or at least they're ready to vote for it.

Very few political events in the past decade have inspired as much interest and activism among young people as the 2008 presidential election. In this three part CPBN- Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network web exclusive series, Youth Vote Producer Lindsay Carr Fuller did more than round up the usual suspects. You'll meet impassioned and thoughtful young people, get hard facts from opinion research firms and meet insiders like Thomas Dec, Connecticut High School State Coordinator, Students for Barack Obama, Doug Schwartz, Director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute and Kevin McMahon, Associate Professor & Chair of Political Science, Trinity College.

Episode 1 History

While past performance might not be indicative of future results, what do youth voting trends tell us? 

Episode 2 Issues

In any election, there are many factors that determine why people vote for a certain candidate. Things like personality, party loyalty, and campaign platforms all play into voters' final decision. The question is which factors are most important to voters, specifically young voters? Are they voting on superficial attributes like charisma or showmanship rather than on the issues themselves? Does it really matter?

Episode 3  Activism

Despite the political apathy that the entire Millenial generation has been accused of, there are a growing number of young people who are getting out and involving themselves in the political process.

Epilogue The Kids are Alright

The much anticipated increased participation did happen. Across the country, young voters’ turnout made a significant impact on close races in battleground states.

Add your thoughts and comments on the bottom of the Episode pages or contact us via email us at videoreporter@cptv.org

For more coverage of Election '08, check out CPTV & WNPR's Democracy Project.