Youth Vote Teleconference |
The Youth Vote: Will they show up and, if they do, will they vote down the ballot?
When Benjamin Redmond heads to the polls on Election Day, like many young voters he plans to vote for the presidential candidate he believes will help him manage $24,000 he has in student loan debt. Almost two out of three college students owe an average of more than $19,000 in student loan debt. Recently, “Got Tuition?” sponsored a teleconference for reporters to discuss college affordability, the youth vote, and its impact on the 2008 elections. The call featured representatives from “Got Tuition?”, Campus Progress Action, Rock the Vote, the League of Young Voters and Benjamin Redmond, a recent graduate from George Washington University. Click on the link below to listen to the call. An mp3 of the teleconference is available below, as well as the press release for the event. To save the mp3 file to your computer, please right-click and select "save target as".
The Youth Vote: Will they show up and, if they do, will they vote down the ballot?
WASHINGTON—When Benjamin Redmond heads to the polls on Election Day, like many young voters he plans to vote for the presidential candidate he believes will help him manage his student loan debt. Redmond owes more than $24,000 and is facing a student loan payment that will be more than his car note—$400 a month. However, Redmond is not alone. Almost two out of three college students owe an average of more than $19,000 in student loan debt.
In a recent poll, 65 percent of current college students surveyed said making college more affordable was an important issue to them. Thirty-four percent said it was the “most” important issue. However, will this issue—college affordability—get them to show up at the polls next month? And, if they do show up, will they just vote in the presidential race and not complete the entire ballot, as suggested by a recent survey of young voters?
Reporters are invited to discuss college affordability, the youth vote and the possible impact of both on Election Day during a teleconference Wednesday, October 29. The teleconference—featuring representatives from “Got Tuition?”, Campus Progress Action, League of Young Voters, and Rock the Vote—will also cover what youth groups are doing to make sure that young voters make informed decisions not just in the presidential race but all the way down the ballot.
“Got Tuition?” (www.gottuition.org) is a national, nonpartisan campaign about college affordability and the long-term effects of student loan debt.
WHO: Kim Anderson, “Got Tuition?”
Erica Williams, Campus Progress Action
Harris Parnell, League of Young Voters
Heather Smith, Rock the Vote
Benjamin Redmond, George Washington University graduate
WHAT: Teleconference on college affordability and the youth vote
WHEN: Wednesday, October 29, 2008
1 p.m. Eastern Time
Noon Central Time
11 a.m. Mountain Time
10 a.m. Pacific Time
