On the anniversary of the 2008 presidential election, some youth organizers say political interest is still high. (Kristin Maiorano/MNS)
ARLINGTON, Va.–On the morning of Tuesday, November 3, 2009—Election Day—the stream of people coming in and out of the fire-station-turned-polling-place on Wilson Blvd. wasn’t exactly a stampede. It was only every few minutes a person would walk into the humble building’s white door.
It was a far cry from last year.
“Voting for local governments doesn’t seem to matter to them as much as voting for their national government,” said Andrew Wu, 13, “But I think it matters just the same.”
Not even old enough to vote, the middle schooler spent his Election Day—a day off from school—handing out sample ballots for the Republican Party. While it didn’t hurt that he was fulfilling community service hours for Longfellow Middle School in Fairfax County, Va., he said it was important to stand up for issues that matter to him.
“I think financial issues are very important because of taxes,” Wu said. “My family, a lot of families everywhere, are having lots of trouble with taxes.”
One year after record numbers of young people turned out for the 2008 presidential election, some activists say Wu’s approach is common among teens and twenty-somethings.
“Young people are figuring out…there are ways to be engaged beyond just voting, and really making sure they’re making connections with people in their communities, talking about the issues, and figuring out how they themselves can have an impact outside of an election year,” said Erica Williams, deputy director of the non-partisan organization Campus Progress.
Young people are getting involved by speaking out about a variety of issues, she added, including healthcare, climate change, gay rights and veterans affairs.