Barack Obama has cultivated a rock star persona and used "change" as a rallying cry, attracting young, secular voters, but it could be the large segment of religiously-oriented youth who make or break the Democratic presidential candidate and his Republican opponent John McCain this election year.

Three swing states -- Ohio, Missouri and Colorado -- could tip the scales if religious youth show up the way they have in recent elections, said John Green, director of the Bliss Institute at University of Akron in Ohio.

"These 'battleground states' are good reflections of the nation as a whole," Green told FOXNews.com. "The youth vote -- both religious and non-religious -- are likely to show the same patterns at the national level. If they [religious youth] can have an impact nationally, they will have an impact in the battleground states."

Evangelical youth accounted for about 20 percent of the overall youth vote in the last election. In all, more than 4 million practicing Jews, Muslims and Christian youth could show up to vote on Nov. 4.

Winning over increasingly sophisticated young voters -- religious or otherwise -- means reaching out to them in familiar venues. Facebook is just one of several outlets where religious youth voters have congregated to create groups who share their beliefs and viewpoints.

Bradford Schundler, creator of “Christians for Obama," said he created the Facebook forum to give young voters from fundamentalist Christian backgrounds who were frustrated with the system a place to come together and rally for change.

For Schundler, Obama embodies that rallying cry.

Change is "the abandoning of politics as usual, an opportunity for the underrepresented to have a voice," he said. "Obama is the face of the Christian youth generation, moreso than anybody else.”

Schundler said his religion is a huge factor in picking a candidate, and he believes Obama “has a message that can resonate with young Christians.”

Those words are remarkably similar to ones uttered by Matt Russell, who has started another Facebook group called "Christians for McCain." He said the page is a place for young Christians to discuss issues that matter to them and to help inform undecided voters.

"A vast majority of my friends believe McCain is the face of the Christian youth vote today," he said.

Russell said he was drawn to McCain because he "upholds the Christian values and he acknowledges that God should be kept in public places."

With his stance on the war in Iraq and his defense of Israel, Russell said, "McCain supports the conservative Christian views, unlike Obama."

For both candidates, appealing to religious youth means speaking to them the same way they appeal to their secular peers or devout elders. McCain is trying to reach out to youth, particularly religious youth, by speaking of issues that matter to all Americans, said Joe Pounder, a McCain spokesman.

"Young religious voters are looking for a president who will keep our nation safe while expanding economic opportunity and promoting our common values. In this election, young religious voters will see that John McCain has the leadership, values and vision we need in our next president," Pounder said.

Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Obama has packed concert halls to maximum capacity by delivering speeches that are inspiring and hopeful. He is trying to motivate religious youth voters by tapping into their support for collective causes like climate change and faith-based charities.

"Our campaign is reaching out to young people of all faiths, including Evangelicals, by holding house parties, hosting events with key supporters and even holding rock concerts. Faith has been an important part of Senator Obama's life and he shares the commitment that millions of young evangelicals and people of all faith have to changing the world around them," Psaki said.

Michelle Lackie, director of Weinberg Tzedek Hillel based in Washington, D.C. said both candidates have something to offer religious youth.

"A lot of people who will vote for McCain because of his view on Israel, and a lot of people will vote for Obama because of his view of change and his objectivity to tackle foreign policy issues."

Tony Arnold, director of media relations for Campus Crusade, the world’s largest youth ministry, said he has definitely noticed more interest in this election than in previous years. Campus Crusade does not back any one particular candidate, but encourages its members to participate in the political process.

"Because of the nature of the contest this time around, both parties having highly contesting races," attention is more focused, Arnold said.

Obama's objective to inspire has worked on Jacob Velleman, a member of the Obama for America College Steering Committee. Velleman said Obama’s appeal comes from being "in touch with issues that matter to young people, and (he) views them as beneficiaries to today's policies."

"What I am when I hear him is inspired and I don’t get that from other politicians," said Velleman, who is Jewish.

Velleman said he and his friends believe Obama has "invested in the youth vote" since the start of the campaign.

"Overwhelmingly, my Jewish friends will be voting for Barack," Velleman said.

That is not the case for Arielle Rosayn, a junior at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, and a member of the Hillel Jewish organization, which has a chapter at FAU. Rosayn said she is 100 percent for McCain because of his policy on Israel.

"McCain has a stronger allegiance and better stance on Israel," Rosayn said, adding that inspirational speech-making isn't the only attribute she seeks in a candidate.

"There is more to electing the next president of the United States than (being) a good speaker," she said.

As with all elections, the key to success will be turnout.

"Turnout is critical and the only votes that count are the votes that are cast," said the Bliss Institute's Green.

Forty percent of registered voters age 18-29 turned out in 2000. In 2004, turnout for young people rose to 49 percent, or 20.9 million young voters. The youth vote accounted for 16 percent of the overall count in 2004.

Noting states where the religious youth vote could potentially have the most impact, Green said Colorado, Missouri and Ohio have in the last two presidential elections narrowly given George W. Bush victories.

In 2004, President Bush beat Sen. John Kerry in Ohio by 118,601 votes or less than 2 percent. In Missouri, Bush defeated Kerry by 198,836 votes, or less than 7.5 percent; and in Colorado, Bush beat Kerry by 107,567 votes, or just under 5.5 percent. In 2000, Bush defeated then-Vice President Al Gore by similar or even tighter margins in all three states.