The youth vote has been particularly important during this election cycle, as was seen in the pivotal role young people made in the Iowa Caucus earlier in January. Democratic Presidential candidate and Senator from Illinois Barack Obama made great inroads with the youth vote which put him over the top for the nations first caucus.

Missouri will be playing a pivotal role as well in the Super Tuesday Primary where 22 states will be casting their ballots for their preference of nominee. Clinton, Obama and Edwards have been in town repeatedly over the past five months courting votes for the nomination.

Over the next two weeks as Missourian prepare for presidential primary, the Missouri Homefront will speak with some of the youth across Missouri who plan on voting. This installment will include interviews of students at the North Saint Louis Youthbuild program of the Frieden's Neighborhood Foundation. The program targets youth(18-24) who have dropped out of high school and gives them hands on construction training and intensive academic instruction. The graduates are required to get their GED and are challenged to become civically engaged.

The interviews are of traditionally unlikely voters. This particular neighborhood in North Saint Louis is faced with many challenges, with 34.3% of families below the poverty level, 3.7 times the national average; 22.1% of the civilian labor force unemployed, 5.5 times the national average; Dropout rates at Vashon and Beaumont, the two general attendance public high schools serving the area, at 23.5% and 31.8%, respectively, compared to a national average of 4.4%.*

But as was proven in Iowa, young voters made a difference, and this year young voters will continue to make a difference. We will revisit the Youthbuild program later in the year to explore the progress that is made of these young people in the program and asking them of their thoughts as they continue to participate in the political process.

Political updates for the week: Democratic Mayor Francis Slay got shouted down at the Martin Luther King Day Celebration. He was set to speak prior to the march in the Old Courthouse in downtown Saint Louis when many in the crowd booed the Mayor. The Mayor is currently embroiled in controversy over the reassignment of the Fire Chief Sherman George.

The 37 year old Republican Governor Matt Blunt announced on Wednesday that he will not seek a second term in office. The news came as a shock to both the Republican and Democratic Party. Blunt was considered one of the most vulnerable Governors in the nation of this year's Gubernatorial races.

Editors note: Please forgive my video and audio editing skills. I am starting my classes on Saturday!

*U.S. Census Bureau American FactFinder Fact Sheet (2000 Census Year data) Missouri Dept. of Elementary & Secondary Education (2004-2005)