2004 shapes up as year of ‘Virgin’

The “Virgin Voter” is the newest demographic catchphrase in the 2004 campaign, following in the tradition of the “Soccer Mom” and the “NASCAR Dad.”

Democratic strategists are focusing attention on young first-time voters, ages 18 to 25, as potential swing voters in November.

Ever since 1972 — the first presidential election after the 26th Amendmentgave 18-year-olds the right to vote — low turnout has typified young voters. In 2000, 42 percent of 18- to 24-years-olds voted, compared with 70 percent of Americans 25 and older, according to the nonpartisan Center for Information and Research on Civil Learning and Engagement.

But this year, according to a poll conducted by Pace University, young voters plan on turning up at the polls in record numbers.

“This election is unprecedented with the amount of interest in the election,” said Jehmu Greene, executive director of Rock the Vote. “Expect record numbers to come out and vote.”

One reason for the greater interest among young voters this year, the Pace Poll found, is that the ultra-close 2000 election results — with George W. Bush winning the presidency on a 537-vote margin in Florida — convinced them that every vote really does count.

Rock the Vote, with its partnership with MTV, is the most visible of several organizations that have mounted efforts to draw young voters to the polls in 2004. Others include the Youth Vote Coalition, College Democrats, College Republicans and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Rock the Vote was founded in 1990 by members of the Recording Industry Association of America in response to what they described as attacks on freedom of expression and censorship in music. Since then, Rock the Vote’s main goal has been to register young people to vote and to keep them informed about the issues.

Rock the Vote has 15,000 street team members across America “pounding the pavement and registering their friends to vote,” Ms. Greene said. The organization has launched a Rock the Vote bus tour, which will visit college campuses across America registering students to vote.

Rock the Vote also has teamed up with Motorola to send young people election news through their cell phones.

The top issue for young voters is education, while “cutting taxes is relatively unimportant” to them, Jonathan Trichter, director of the Pace Poll, said.

“The most important issue right now is money for education,” said Clayton Adams, 18, a Georgia delegate to the Democratic National Convention. “Tuition has skyrocketed over the past 14 years. It is so important to be able to have money for the middle class to get an education.”

Even if students are able to fund their education, “recent college grads don’t know if they will have a stable job,” Mr. Adams said. “People with degrees should be assured they will have a job.”

Rock the Vote says it has registered more than 400,000 young people to vote in the upcoming election and plans to register more. With its “20 Million Loud” campaign, Rock the Vote aims to have 20 million new voters registered to vote for the 2004 election.

The “Virgin Voters” are willing and waiting, but what is the Democratic Party doing to get their vote?

“New voters in the 2004 elections include a plurality of self-described moderates who hold the balance of power and could swing either Democratic or Republican,” Mr. Trichter said.

The Kerry campaign has been targeting the youth vote, sending Sen. John Kerry’s daughters, Vanessa and Alexandra, to college campuses.