The number of young voters turning out in this years’ election is likely to fall significantly below the levels recorded in 2008.
A poll conducted by the Harvard Public Opinion’s Project predicts found that 59% of young people aged 18-29 are likely to vote in the upcoming election, with a potential gap between the likelihood of voting and actual voter turnout estimated to be between 19 and 25%.
The poll found that only 48% of those surveyed would ‘definitely vote’.
This could result in the lowest young-voter turnout recorded since 1972, when the vote was first extended to 18 year olds – a stark contrast to the 2008 election, where the second largest number of 18-29 year olds voting was recorded.
Despite a loss of confidence in President Obama amongst young voters, many of whom are struggling with student debt and job seeking, according to the poll the President still holds a lead within the demographic, with 55% of overall support compared to 36% for Governor Romney – although potential Romney voters are more likely to turn out throughout the day.