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Politicians, student leaders urge young voters to make their voices heard

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By MARIA KONOPKEN
Cronkite News Service

PHOENIX (Monday Oct. 27) _ Young people represent a quarter of Arizona’s voting-age population, but their voices won’t be heard Nov. 4 unless they cast ballots, student leaders and a bipartisan group of lawmakers warned Monday.

“Over the years, we’ve shown our age range hasn’t been voting,” said Brad Busse, student body president at Northern Arizona University. “We have a responsibility to be educated and vote for the candidate we best believe fits for ourselves.”

Busse and other representatives of the Arizona Student Vote Coalition and the Student Public Interest Research Group’s New Voter Project joined lawmakers at a news conference on the Arizona State Capitol lawn.

National turnout among voters ages 18 to 29 has consistently lagged behind voters ages 30 and older, with 49 percent of the younger group voting in 2004 against 68 percent in the older group, according to the Pew Research Center.

“No matter what your voice is, it should be heard,” said House Speaker Jim Weiers, R-Phoenix. “Sacrifices have been made through the years for us to be able to have that right, and to ignore that is, I think, very shameful.”

However, young-voter turnout in 2004 increased 9 percentage points from 2000. And Busse said turnout will continue rising this year because the presidential candidates and state-level candidates are reaching out in ways that young people use to communicate, such as social networking sites, e-mail and text-messaging.

“I think back to 2004, when I was voting for the first time, there wasn’t anything on my level really that helped me to educate myself,” Busse said.

The Arizona Student Vote Coalition is a collaboration of the Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG), public university student governments and the Arizona Students’ Association (ASA), a nonprofit, nonpartisan group that advocates for public university students.

“There is strength in speaking with one voice in order to make a difference on the issues students care about,” said Arizona State University student Andrew Rigazio, an ASA board member.

Rep. Lucy Mason, R-Prescott, said young voters are educated and care about their communities but often mistakenly assume that their votes don’t matter. Mason noted that she lost her first run at elected office by just six votes.

“We just need to spread the word and get more of you and more of our young people, our young citizens, engaged in the system,” Mason said.

Rep. Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix, said better communication from candidates and more attention to issues affecting young people help, but he said more needs to be done to increase turnout.

“I think it is very important for us to start focusing on these young folks,” Gallardo said. “These are the next generation of not only leaders but our taxpayers, and what we do not only nationally but here at the State Capitol affects them every day.”

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Web Links:
_ Arizona PIRG: www.arizonapirg.org
_ Arizona Students’ Association: www.azstudents.org

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PHOTOS:

Click thumbnails to see full-resolution images and download; caption information is in the file under File>File Info.

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CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-YOUNG VOTERS: Brad Busse, student body president at Northern Arizona University, speaks at a news conference Monday at the Arizona State Capitol urging young people to vote. Behind him are Elma Delic (left), a University of Arizona student who serves as co-chair of the Arizona Student Vote Coalition,a nd Andrew Rigazio, a board member of the Arizona Student Association at Arizona State University. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Maria Konopken)

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CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-YOUNG VOTERS: Student leaders talk with the media after a news conference on Monday, Oct. 27. 2008, at which they joined a bipartisan group of state lawmakers urging young people to vote Nov. 4. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Maria Konopken)

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CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-YOUNG VOTERS: House Speaker Jim Weiers, R-Phoenix, speaks Monday, Oct. 27, 2008, at the Arizona State Capitol urging young people to vote. Behind him is Andrew Rigazio (left), a board member of the Arizona Student Association at Arizona State University, Rep. Lucy Mason, R-Prescott, and Rep. Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Maria Konopken)

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CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-YOUNG VOTERS: Rep. Lucy Mason, R-Prescott, speaks Monday, Oct. 27, 2008, at the Arizona State Capitol urging young people to vote. Behind her is Andrew Rigazio, a board member of the Arizona Student Association at Arizona State University. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Maria Konopken)