CHICAGO – The youth vote in this country could be a powerful force in the upcoming presidential election — if the 30 million adults aged 18 to 24 actually go to the polls.
Historically, turnout among that segment of the population has never topped 50 percent in a presidential election since 1972, when the voting age was lowered to 18, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (search).
The Bush/Gore race in 2000 had one of the youth demographic's worst showings at the polls: Only 32 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds turned out for one of the closest contests for the White House in history.
Analysts say the lackluster response from young voters has traditionally been because candidates tend to ignore them.
But this time around, those vying for the White House are aggressively going after the youth vote, believing that the 18-to-24 set cares enough about the war and the economy to reverse decades of apathy.
Click here to watch a fair and balanced report by Fox News Channel's Jeff Goldblatt.
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