Election 2004

Election interest overtakes apathy

Classrooms are buzzing about the presidential race. The county has nearly twice as many registered 18- to 25-year-olds as in 2000. Who says young people don't care about politics?

By BRITTANEY KIEFER
Published November 1, 2004

Anyone who assumes that high school and college students are oblivious to this year's presidential race would only have to walk the halls or sit in a classroom at any local high school to be proved wrong.

Recently, in a classroom at Hernando High School, the conversation turned to politics and the presidential candidates. Topics ranging from Bush's stands on abortion and gay marriage to the possibility of a reinstatement of the draft were discussed heatedly by the upperclassmen.

While young voters have always been notorious for a low turnout at the polls, the increased interest in this year's election has many people wondering whether potential first-time voters will be more likely to cast ballots Tuesday.

The heightened political awareness has been noticed by 18-year-old Springstead High student Lisa Urgo.

"Whenever my friends and I get a chance, we start talking about the election," Urgo said.

For many students who are eligible to vote for the first time this year, their political involvement will not end with classroom conversation. Sarah Harman, an 18-year-old graduate of Hernando High School, shared her philosophy on the importance of voting.

"It makes me so angry when I hear someone complaining about the president or the government or the economy, and I ask them, "Did you vote?' and they say, "No.' If you don't vote, you don't have the right to complain."

Urgo shares Harman's opinion.

"I always hear teenagers complaining about the government or what's wrong with the world, and they think they can't do anything about it," she said, "but they can if they get involved and if they vote."

Ana Trinque, chairwoman of the Hernando County Republican Executive Committee, said the local party has noticed more young people who are interested in voting this year - "more so than ever before."

Peg Heal, chairwoman of the Democratic Executive Committee in Hernando, agreed. "This has been the biggest year of involvement among young voters," Heal said. "It's really thrilling."

Numbers bear out what the party officials are seeing.

For the 2000 presidential election, there were 4,624 registered 18- to 25-year-olds in Hernando County. This year, that number has nearly doubled to 8,829.

Elizabeth Townsend, community relations and voter education coordinator for the Hernando Supervisor of Elections Office, said there are several ways to explain the 91 percent increase.

"We started going to the high schools during senior clearance to register 17- and 18-year-olds," Townsend said.

"It is also possible now to register to vote at the Department of Motor Vehicles. I'm also always going out to the schools to do programs and promote voting to students. This year we did several mock elections, including one at Nature Coast Technical High School."

Heal said presidential elections always spark more interest.

"This is a very critical election this year, and students seem to be more interested in what's going on in our country," she said.

Not everyone buys into the belief that young people are more interested in this year's election. Richard Cofer, an American government teacher at Hernando High, still believes that high school seniors and college students are the least likely group to vote on Election Day.

"I haven't seen any difference in political interest in my classes," Cofer said. "I think teenagers are more worried about who they're going to take to the prom than who they're going to vote for."

Many would disagree with Cofer, however.

Said Laurie Pizzo, treasurer of the Hernando County Young Republicans and club development chairwoman of the Florida Federation of Young Republicans: "I believe that young people aren't stupid, and they don't just care about who they will take to the prom."

Pizzo, Trinque and Heal all think the war in Iraq will bring more young voters to the polls.

"Most first-time voters will remember where they were on Sept. 11, 2001," Pizzo said. "I've heard a lot of teenagers who say they feel that we have a very strong leader in (President) Bush. They like that he makes up his mind and sticks to it."

The war is important to Harman, but she supports the president's Democratic challenger.

"I would feel more comfortable with John Kerry as our president because he was in combat, and Bush doesn't have the same experience," she said. "Kerry will think twice before he sends more troops into Iraq. I hate to think that kids my age could be dying in Iraq for nothing."

Rumors of a possible reinstatement of the draft have also reached the ears of many first-time voters.

"I'm very opposed to the draft," Urgo said. "I think you shouldn't have to enlist if you don't want to."

While the war in Iraq certainly is an important issue to students, Harman has another idea as to why young voter registration has increased.

"There's this huge movement going on right now trying to bring more young voters to the polls on Nov. 2. A lot of popular actors and bands are using their celebrity to promote voting. I think a lot of teens will vote because they want to be a part of this movement, and they want to feel like they're part of something," she said.

For young voters still apathetic toward politics, Pizzo had a word of encouragement.

"The political process can be very confusing, and even when you vote, it can take a long time to see results," she cautioned.

But Pizzo thinks that if someone really wants something, it's important to keep after it. And she says no one should understand that better than teenagers.

"You can compare voting to when you have to pester your parents again and again for something you really want," she said. "To the teenager that just doesn't care about voting, they should realize that every vote counts."

[Last modified November 1, 2004, 00:11:20]