Candidates and student groups are hoping a gubernatorial race and several hot-button initiatives on the Nov. 7 election ballot are enough of an enticement for young Michigan voters this midterm election.
Voter turnout rates for both younger and older Michigan voters have decreased in the last two midterm elections. But turnout rates for younger voters in the state and nation are usually the lowest.
The turnout difference between midterm and presidential elections stems from the belief that one is less important than the other, said Karlo Barrios Marcelo, research associate for the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement, or CIRCLE.
But he said more voters might come out to vote because of Michigan's gubernatorial race between Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Republican challenger Dick DeVos, and because of critical ballot initiatives.
"We're not going to see anything higher than the presidential election, that's for sure," Marcelo said. "(But) any kind of increase would be kind of a big deal."
Both the Granholm and DeVos campaigns know every vote will count this election, including the young ones. And the major tools the campaigns are using to get high school and college students' votes are local student political groups.
John Truscott, DeVos' campaign manager, said this midterm election is too important not to vote, especially with the lack of jobs available when college students graduate.
"Michigan is among the worst at keeping young people in the state," he said. "We really hope that the message is what really sells (DeVos) as a candidate."
Chris DeWitt, Granholm's campaign manager, said the governor has pushed legislation that positively impacts young people, namely with issues like the $4,000 merit scholarship.
"Gov. Granholm has a very strong record on issues we believe are important to young voters," he said. "TV and radio ads are certainly effective, but the best way to get the message across to any voter is personal contact, whether it be in your apartment or dorm room."
Trends usually show young voter participation, both in Michigan and the nation, is much lower than individuals 30 years of age and older, according to a study done by CIRCLE. Only presidential elections seem to alleviate the dip in voter turnout. According to CIRCLE statistics, young voter participation rates jumped from 25 percent in the 2002 midterm election to 55 percent in the 2004 presidential election.
Turnout for younger voters steadily declined in midterm elections from 1994 to 2002.
Close elections where candidates win by only a few votes are not uncommon, MSU College Republicans Chairman Jeff Wiggins said. Once it gets closer to Nov. 7 and the group's members are all registered, the College Republicans will try to reach every potential voter by setting up tables in the residence halls and going from door to door.
"(People) may not know what it is about. They may not know how to do it. They may not know where to do it or any of the details," he said. "A lot of kids will (vote) if they have the help."
MSU College Democrats have been knocking on doors all over campus for the past two weeks, asking students to register to vote, spokeswoman Chandra Allard said. The student group is already expecting a great turnout this midterm election after talking with many students who not only anticipate voting, but have strong opinions on the issues that affect the state, she said.
"We think it's very important that they don't only come out for the presidential election, but the midterm elections," Allard said. "This is what we do every election. Voting always matters for us."
A goal for YouVote, an MSU program used to inform voters about candidates and voter requirements, is to have as many people vote as possible.
Shalane Walker, assistant to YouVote, said efforts will be made to get people informed about the voting requirements up until Oct. 10 — the deadline for registering to vote for the Nov. 7 election.
Young people voting is important for statistical purposes, she said. When politicians look at the statistics next election, they will see the benefits of catering to younger voters, she said.
"If we can get the percent up from last midterm, then I can say we did our job," Walker said.
