Our generation turned out strong for Democrats. Now we need to tell our story. Help YDA collect all of the amazing youth vote stories across the United States. Simply blog about them here so we can all share in the success of the Democratic youth vote. If you have a blog or run the campus paper, write a story about the youth vote. Let’s make sure our generation gets noticed.

*YOUTH VOTE 2006 FACTS*

10 million young people, 18-29, voted in the 2006 elections. This is an increase of 2 million young people from the 2002 elections. This number will rise once absentee ballots, provisional ballots and other precincts give their final numbers.

24% of young people voted in the 2006 election cycle, which is a 4% increase over 2002. This number is also preliminary number and will increase once final numbers are in.

18-29 year olds voted Democratic by a 22 point margin, the next best age groups was an 8 point advantage, continuing a trend from 2004 (18-29 year olds voted 60% Democrats and 38% Republicans versus older populations voted 51% Democrat and 47% Republican).

The share of the votes cast by young people (18-29) according to exit polls is up by 2 points, to 13%. This means young voters shattered turnout records. 2006 was a higher turnout election overall, and young people are actually a smaller portion of the population than in 2002, so increasing the share of the overall vote means the 2004 youth vote trend continues.

Young people went into the election voting for Democrats with a 2 to 1 margin and the majority of them identifying as Democrats for the first time in years.

Research tells us that if a person votes for a Party three times in a row, they become a Party voter for life. Young people voted for Democrats in 2004 and now in 2006. 2008 is a call to YDA and candidates to target and turn out young people once again in order to build a solid bloc of young Democratic voters for years to come.