Iowa Road Trip Pt. 1:
Voter Apathy / Angry Youth:
As I trek around the state on a road trip to talk with Iowa’s youth, I’m noticing an unfortunate trend of voter apathy. Maybe it’s the fact that campaigns started earlier than ever, maybe it’s the bump-up of caucuses and primaries all over the nation, but maybe [just maybe] it has something to do with the he said/she said political propaganda that consumes our network media…In most cases it’s all of the above, but regardless, it has much of our youth angry at the system.
Personally the whole process has me exhausted, and the thought that our next election cycle could start even earlier gives me the notion that this could be the start of a very nauseating trend.
What I’m hearing from our youth:
- “Nothing changes, why should I care?”
- “They don’t talk about issues I care about.”
- “All they do is fight!”
- “It’s just getting old.”
- “Millions of dollars are being wasted on these campaigns.”
- “I don’t see this election affecting my life.”
In the last few elections, voter turnout among youths has no doubt increased, and it’s been campaigns such as Choose or Lose and Rock the Vote that have engaged our youth and gotten them excited about being part of the process. But what happens when this excitement runs out. What if as these youths grow up they don’t see any change actually happening, what’s going to make them want to vote the next time around? It makes me wonder if there could be a glass ceiling for voter excitement.
Each election year we’re told that it’s going to be the most important election of our lifetime, but then another one comes around and suddenly that one is more important than the one before! I sense a certain amount of confusion among our youths as to what actually makes it so important, and as they watch negative ads one after the other, they become even more turned off.
Am I trying to predict a drop in youth turnout this year? Not by any means. And 2012? How am I to know? I am simply noting that as I talk to youth now, I am not hearing as much excitement as I did a few months back – and early in the year. In Iowa, we started way back in January; then all the attention moved elsewhere and suddenly we weren’t the center of the political universe anymore. Each primary and caucus brought attention to the race earlier than every before. These candidates have been talking for a really long time, so with everything already said months ago, what else do they have to do but throw mud at each other.
We do, of course, have a few weeks left for the excitement to turn around, so as I continue around the state, I’m going to be curious what young voters want to see and hear to keep them interested.
Keep watching for the next installments to my road trip!