Coalition Increases Youth Voter Turnout

	NEW VOTERS PROJECT —Students worked to register new voters this fall. The Project helped turn out over 10,000 students to vote on election day .

The Arizona Student Vote Coalition, a group comprised of Arizona PIRG, the Arizona Students Association and the state universities’ student governments continued their statewide effort this fall to increase youth voter registration and turnout.

Across the country, voter turnout among people aged 18 to 24 increased 11 percent between the 2000 and 2004 elections, while the overall electorate showed only a 4 percent increase.

In Arizona, due in part to efforts of the coalition, the 2004 turnout among 18- to 24 year-olds increased 17 percent, compared to the 2000 elections. The coalition plans to continue this effort in future elections.

The coalition registered thousands of Arizona students and worked to turn out over 10,000 students to the polls this Election Day.

“Our campaign is focused on getting candidates and elected officials to focus on issues of interest to young people—higher education, health care, the environment—and to get this constituency more involved in the future course of our country’s democracy,” said Isaac Kimes, an ASU student involved with Arizona PIRG.