The Vote 2004 Coalition kicked off its annual campaign to register new voters at UW-Madison Thursday. Erica Gerry, of the New Voters Project, said increasing the youth vote is integral to the health of the nation.
\Young people who get involved early [in the political process] tend to stay engaged,"" Gerry said.
However, since they gained the right to vote in 1972, young voters have not turned out in high numbers, according to Donald Ferree, senior sociology lecturer. According to the Vote 2004 Coalition, 39 percent of all 18 to 21-year-olds voted in the 1972 election. That number has slipped to 36 percent in the last election.
Ferree said it is difficult to compare the voting numbers from the early '70s to today. In the past students mobilized around hot-button issues like the Vietnam War, which directly affected the white male portion of the youth population.
""I don't think we have quite the same intensity of issues today,"" Ferree said.
It essentially comes down to what will mobilize students to get out to vote, according to Ferree. Many things affect voter turnout such as the issues on the ballot, candidates or the voting climate.
""[Madison] has a clear culture that encourages people to vote,"" Ferree said.
Students said interest in this year's election was high among their peers. Chris Natynski, coordinator of the Associated Students of Madison Vote 2004 Campaign, said tuition increases on the statewide level and the war in Iraq on the national level are bringing a greater interest to the 2004 elections.
""Even a lot of people that were conservative said they were excited about the election,"" UW-Madison freshman Jamie Clayton said.
Voter turnout at UW-Madison has traditionally been high. In 2000, voter turnout was 76 percent. Natynski, who worked on voting registration during the 2002 elections, said response was positive. Though many college students are accused of apathy, UW-Madison does not have that problem, according to Natynski.
Natynski said the Vote 2004 Coalition will sponsor discussions on voting and the candidates and distribute a voter's guide on campus. However, Natynski said, word of mouth is the best way to get people out on Election Day.
""We just gotta get in people's faces,"" Natynski said. ""In a respectful way, of course.\
