The race is over - Barack Obama is the next president of the United States of America.
But another winner this year is youth voters.
More than ever, voters on college campuses, Ball State University included, have been caught up in the fervor and enthusiasm of the 2008 election.
While we don't yet know how many young voters turned out for the election, the numbers from primaries and registration efforts are undeniable. Turnout by voters under 30 in 2008 primaries and caucuses nearly doubled from 2000, according to a study by the University of Maryland's Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. Rock the Vote, a nonpartisan political group that targets young voters, reported it helped register 2.5 million new voters for this election, more than doubling 2004's efforts.
Participation of young voters decreased each election for decades until 2004, when about 47 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds voted, up from 36 percent in 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Polls project this year's numbers to be even higher.
Cold, hard statistics aside, at Ball State, activity of political student groups has soared since the beginning of the academic year, and posters and advertisements for candidates have been plastered all over campus. Even the comment boards on DN|Online have erupted with political arguments almost every day for weeks.
Much of this youth involvement has been spurred by the Obama campaign, which has captured the support of a majority of young voters.
Early exit polls Tuesday showed more than two-thirds of voters younger than 30 supported Obama.
UWIRE, a university journalism wire service, reports that 88 college newspapers in its organization endorsed presidential candidates; 86 of those endorsements went to Obama.
Obama's advertising campaign focused more on young voters than John McCain's, placing ads on Facebook, iPhones and video games.
The surge of interest in Obama's campaign was met by young voters who staunchly supported McCain and who came out ready to show their support more than ever before.
Both candidates caught youth voters' attention with comedic appearances on popular television shows like "The Daily Show" and "Saturday Night Live."
A general dissatisfaction with the George W. Bush Administration brought out a rejuvenated spirit of political enthusiasm among all demographics, including young voters. Whether these youths supported the Republican or Democratic candidate, many of them were ready for a change and came out in droves.
No one can be sure if this activism will last in young people for future elections. We as Ball State students hope it does.
In the meantime, we are proud to be part of a group that has finally realized its potential.
No matter who won the presidential race, we came out on top.
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