A recent study shows Alaskan youth votes more consistently than a lot of states in the lower 48.
The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, or CIRCLE, is based at Tufts University Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service. CIRCLE conducts research on civic education in schools, colleges and community settings and young American voting.
The new reports looks at the elections in 2010 and 2012. It shows that Alaska’s youth vote, 18-29 year olds, make up 25.6 percent of the population, second only to Washington, DC. Of those young people, 45.1 percent are registered to vote, the national average being 49.2 percent for that age group.
Director of CIRCLE Peter Levine says he believes these numbers are high because Alaska has a high youth population.
“It’s a very young state and also young Alaskans held their own in terms of turnout. That adds up to quite a lot of young votes and then of course you have a competitive senate race so it adds up to an important youth turn out.”
The report breaks down the youth votes even further-- by college experience, race, gender and immigration status. 46 percent of Alaskans between 18-29 with some college education voted, compared to the national average of 59 percent. 6.7 percent of Alaska Native youths voted, whereas less than one percent voted nationally.
Levine says there’s a common misconception that young people tend to vote Democrat more often than not.
“There’s a kind of common view that the youth vote is a Democratic vote, and so people frame it as a conversation as a Democratic demographic but that’s really not accurate because young people often split their vote. It’s very different state to state. I don’t know for sure but I would think that Republicans in Alaska would be able to make a good play for youth. So it’s not necessarily a Democratic constituency.”
That makes sense when considering Alaska has a Republican governor, state senate and state house. And just like every other age group, more of Alaska’s youth showed up to the 2012 presidential elections than the 2010 midterms.