With the election now more than a week past, the excitement in the halls of Mary Graydon Center and on the expanses of the National Mall has ebbed slightly and allowed a clearer, less emotional picture of the election to emerge. One of the most interesting and most important stories lines to emerge since Nov. 4 is the impact of youth voters on the election. Slightly more than 50 percent of young voters turned out for the election this year - an estimated 2.2 million more than in 2004. And those who did vote overwhelmingly supported President-elect Barack Obama by a record-breaking 34-point margin of victory - a margin four times larger than President John F. Kennedy enjoyed in the 1960 election. Overall, 19 percent of those who voted in this past election were under the age of 30. In some states, such as North Carolina, these votes proved the difference for Obama, giving him victories in states that hadn't voted Democratic in decades.
The increase in young voter participation is something to be proud of. As the most politically active campus in the nation, AU is at the vanguard of a generation that is shaking out of the supposed political apathy of young voters in the past. Our generation, the so-called Millenials, came of age during this past election. For the first time, our voices were heard in a resounding and lasting manner. As we grow from college students, to 20-somethings, to middle-aged parents, we have the chance to shape this country as we think it should be. Rather than look at this past election as the end of our efforts, we must look at it as the beginning of our impact on this country's policies.
