The Youth Vote

The count is in and the results are... not great. Only 20% of people aged 18 - 29 voted, compared with an average of 42% overall. But is there reason to remain optimistic?

Peter Levine, director of CIRCLE, The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, writes today in the Huffington Post that, yes, voter turnout for young people was down. But that we can:

"...take some comfort in the fact that young adults voted at roughly the same rate as usual in a midterm election. You should reject exaggerations about the size of the decline, especially after four consecutive federal elections in which youth turnout rose."

He goes on to say that:

"If you are excited about the Millennial Generation (those born after 1984), you should stay excited. They are an appealing group, with high levels of volunteering and a record of strong turnout in 2004 and 2008. They are already producing creative and skillful leaders. They are the most diverse generation in American history and they have other important assets, such as skills with media and technology. They certainly care about issues and the future of their country. Significant numbers of them specifically care about political participation."

What do you think? Is his optimism well-founded or are yesterday's number discouraging?