Students not in swing states, less engaged
By: Sara Patterson
Issue date: 10/31/08 Section: News
Students in the battleground states aren't breaking down doors to convert undecided voters in their neighborhoods or even persuading members of their own family to go to the polls. They actually seem to be paying less attention to the election than the average American, according to a poll released this week conducted by CBS News, UWIRE and The Chronicle.
In Tennessee, John McCain's strong 15 point lead over Barack Obama lands the state comfortably in the red, according to pollster.com. But in a state like Colorado, where the difference between candidates is less than 7 points, young voters have more potential influence.
"If I lived in a battleground state, (my vote) would make more of a difference," said University of Memphis freshman Jillian Carroll.
The Japanese major is going home to Arkansas on Saturday to early vote for the first time. She said she is only voting for herself, but if she lived in a battleground state, she would try to recruit her friends and family to her cause.
"If I knew my group could change an entire state, that would be more incentive," she said.
Over all, only one in three of the students polled had displayed a campaign sign or tried to recruit a friend or family member to a particular campaign. Despite that, an incredible 94 percent of students at four-year colleges in Colorado, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania said they were registered to vote.
"There have been extraordinary registration numbers," said Professor Henry Brady, a political science expert at U.C. Berkeley. "The question is, when you get these large groups, are they ultimately going to show up at the polls?"
About 86 percent of students who completed the poll and were registered said they definitely planned to vote. Those figures ranged from 82 percent in Ohio, to 91 percent in Colorado. Students favored Barack Obama over John McCain two votes to one.
"What matters is those young people are going to be democrats," said Brady, noting that Obama may do for the democratic party what Reagan did for Republicans in 1980.
In Tennessee, John McCain's strong 15 point lead over Barack Obama lands the state comfortably in the red, according to pollster.com. But in a state like Colorado, where the difference between candidates is less than 7 points, young voters have more potential influence.
"If I lived in a battleground state, (my vote) would make more of a difference," said University of Memphis freshman Jillian Carroll.
The Japanese major is going home to Arkansas on Saturday to early vote for the first time. She said she is only voting for herself, but if she lived in a battleground state, she would try to recruit her friends and family to her cause.
"If I knew my group could change an entire state, that would be more incentive," she said.
Over all, only one in three of the students polled had displayed a campaign sign or tried to recruit a friend or family member to a particular campaign. Despite that, an incredible 94 percent of students at four-year colleges in Colorado, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania said they were registered to vote.
"There have been extraordinary registration numbers," said Professor Henry Brady, a political science expert at U.C. Berkeley. "The question is, when you get these large groups, are they ultimately going to show up at the polls?"
About 86 percent of students who completed the poll and were registered said they definitely planned to vote. Those figures ranged from 82 percent in Ohio, to 91 percent in Colorado. Students favored Barack Obama over John McCain two votes to one.
"What matters is those young people are going to be democrats," said Brady, noting that Obama may do for the democratic party what Reagan did for Republicans in 1980.