Citizens who fall into the 18 to 24-year-old age bracket are being given a lot of orders this election year. MTV wants them to "Rock the Vote"; P. Diddy wants them to "Vote or Die"; Russell Simmons and his Hip-Hop Summit Action Network wants them to "Get Out the Vote"; and Ani Difranco and her label just wants them to "Vote Dammit."
More than any other age group, young people have been historically averse to taking orders. How much of a response can organizations and individuals campaigning for new voter registration and subsequent voting expect? If their orders fall on the ears of people like Ryan Ellis, not much.
"If someone wants to vote, they will vote but if you couldn't care less about voting you're not going to vote just because someone said so," the senior psychology and exercise science major said.
Ellis said he has developed a strategy for when voting enthusiasts try to encourage him to register, he says simply: "I try to block them out."
"No matter what candidate you vote for, when he gets into office he changes his statement. It doesn't matter what you do it will always be the same. It's just not our world," he said.
Statistics show that Ellis is not alone in his opinion of how much his vote counts. According to www.civicyouth.org, based on information gathered from "Civic Engagement Among Minority Youth," blacks aged 18 to 25 are two times more likely than white or Latino youth to think their vote doesn't matter; 58 percent of black and Latino youths question their ability to make a difference in their communities.
"If students felt like they had more of a stake in the political discourse and that the issues were relevant to their daily lives, this would likely translate to increased participation, " said Charles Finocchiaro, an assistant political science professor.
While some potential youth voters are resigned to the perception that their vote doesn't count, others said they believe new voter registration campaigning will pay off come Election Day.
Roberto Hungria, sophomore computer science major, said he witnessed the success of new voter canvassing this summer when his friend volunteered for MTV's Rock the Vote.
"(Young people) watch and understand that this is an important election to take part in."
Some students believe more can be done to educate young people about the benefits of voting.
"Informing students is the best way to get them to vote. Give them information and hand out print materials. Possibly require classes that involve political participation and awareness," said Joseph Fell, senior English major.
Professor Walter Koch, an instructor of political science, also made a few suggestions of how to increase voter turnout among young people.
"Maybe everyone should have an e-mail sent reminding them to vote. It can have all the information as to when the election is and where they should go to vote. A map of where the polling places are located may be especially useful for new students," Koch said.
Jane Tevington, a freshman biology major, believes whether people go out and vote depends more on what the candidates have to offer than just voting for voting's sake.
"It really doesn't make me want to vote for someone when all they do is diss the other candidate."
Others, like Ellis, believe the candidates do not address issues that are relevant to their lives. Finocchiaro believes young people and presidential hopefuls are locked in a cycle of mutual neglect.
"It's a two-edged sword, in that candidates will not find it necessary to appeal directly to young people because they realize the pattern of non-participation among this segment of the population," he said.
According to Finocchiaro, potential youth voters are the ones with the power to break this cycle.
"It will take initiative on the part of young people to stand up and be counted before politicians take notice," said Finocchiaro.
While organizations and individuals campaigning to increase voter turnout among young people can be heard and seen through almost every medium this election year, the fruits of their labor, or lack thereof, will not be fully gauged until Election Day.
Organizations working on increasing voter turnout are hoping to avoid a repeat of 2000's low turnout of only 42 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds compared to 71 percent of citizens 25 and older, according to information posted on civicyouth.org.
Some believe that despite some resistance, they just might get what they hope for.
"I'm going to vote," said Hungria, "Because this is one of the most critical elections."
