Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
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Every four years Americans hear how the younger generation is going to make its voice known at the polls. While the country has yet to see young people truly come out in force, Iowa’s Secretary of State, Rock the Vote and Public Interest Research Group‘s New Voters Project are teaming up to encourage participation in the caucuses.
Endorsed by both the Iowa Democratic Party and the Republican Party of Iowa, the Rock the Caucus program will use an educational curriculum, volunteer leaders and peer-to-peer outreach to mobilize both high school and college students to caucus for their chosen candidates.
“Rock the Caucus will mobilize a new generation of caucus-goers in Iowa,” said Secretary of State Michael Mauro. “Through this exciting new partnership — which pairs high schools and college campuses with nonprofits and the state — we can set our youngest citizens on a life-long path of political engagement.”
Rock the Caucus will secure pledges from high school seniors and college students to caucus and bring their friends to the caucuses. In high schools, Rock the Vote, the Secretary of State’s office and participating teachers and administrators will participate in a mock caucus. The programs curriculum will also be used to teach potential caucus-goers how the process works. On college campuses, Iowa PIRG will recruit hundreds of students leaders known as “Caucus Rock Stars,” who will get 20 of their peers to pledge to caucus.
“Across the nation, young voters turned out in large numbers in the 2004 and 2006 general elections — the first step to continuing that momentum in 2008 is mobilizing voters in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucus,” said Heather Smith, executive director of Rock the Vote.
Young men and women who are 17 can participate in the Iowa caucuses so long as his or her 18th birthday is before the general election in November. Despite this, only 288 people 18 and younger took part in the 2004 caucuses. That’s less than a quarter of one percent of the total turnout.
Young Iowans, according to recent polling, are up for grabs on both sides of the political aisle. Young Democrats are most supportive of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, with 40 percent of those polled indicating her as their choice. Sen. Barack Obama netted 23 percent and former Sen. John Edwards earned 15 percent of those polled. On the Republican side, 22 percent of young people said they support former Gov. Mitt Romney and 24 percent indicated they support Fred Thompson. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Sen. John McCain and former Gov. Mike Huckabee were in a dead heat with each garnering nine percent.
“Young people will vote if they are asked to,” said Sujatha Jahagirdar, program director for New Voters Project. “It’s up to the candidates to sit up, take notice and reach out to young voters.”
Polling from Rock the Vote indicates young people are engaged in the 2008 elections, but need to hear from candidates on top issues such as education and college affordability, jobs and the economy, health care and Iraq.
“Young voters need to hear real answers and concrete plans this election,” Jahagirdar said. “By hitting the pavement in Iowa, we’ll ensure that this demand is heard loudly and clearly at caucus time.”
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