November 2, 2004
Wow…
I’m between classes. I asked my JRN371 News Writing & Reporting class how many had voted or intended to vote. They all raised their hands–22 students! I have taught through three presidential cycles, and this is the first time more than four students have raised their hands.
I have two more classes today. I’ll keep you posted.
UPDATE (1:40 p.m.): In JRN270 Introduction to Journalism, all 23 students said they had voted or intended to vote. I took an informal poll in both classes:
JRN371: Bush won by one vote
JRN270: Kerry won by five votes.
UPDATE (6:15 p.m.): 100% of the students in my MED581 Media Ethics class also voted (although six were absent). Their results:
MED581: Kerry won by seven votes.
Posted by acline | November 2, 2004 | Posted in: Main | Comments (3)
Well, at least there’s enough peer pressure to lie to your Prof and say you DID vote.
So much for Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out.
Considering that the youth vote did not show up, it may be that I witnessed massive peer pressure. No other class in two previous cycles felt such pressure. In fact, some them in 2000 we quite indignant that I would even suggest that they should care. Yesterday, hands shot up without coaxing.
Hmmmmmm…there’s no way to know for sure. But I think it scares me to consider what it would mean if I saw something other than the truth yesterday.
Well, I think more youth voted, but it amounted to the same percentage of the larger total vote in 2004.
Some links for the youth vote:
First-time voters made up about 10 percent of the electorate, about the same as in 2000
CNN’s Exit Polls. Vote by Age and Vote by Ideology categories
Networks Cautious With Rebuilt Exit Poll
Youth Vote Coalition: Polls and Surveys