By Kim Castle, Janice Levy, and Michael Peshkin
October 2009
In CIRCLE working paper (#66), authors Kim Castle, Janice Levy and Michael Peshkin assess the outcomes of an in-person campus drive in which students were offered a choice of college-state voting in Illinois, or home-state voting by absentee ballot. The study found that the great majority of students who came from swing states chose to vote back home. Students from swing states preferred home-state voting over local voting by an 8-to-1 ratio. The study also found high turnout rates both for students who voted locally and by absentee ballot. 79% of students who registered locally voted, and 84% of students who got an absentee ballot voted. Although absentee voting is more complicated than local voting, most students chose absentee voting. The study concluded that:
- Students can be diligent voters with high turnout, both by absentee ballot and in local voting.
- Students who can vote in their home state or their college state are strongly influenced in that choice by the closeness of the presidential election.
- Even in the internet era, in-person voter drives reach many students who would not otherwise vote.
*Download CIRCLE Working Paper #66 “Local and Absentee Voter Registration Drives on a College Campus”
*Download the Press Release
Suggested Citation: Castle, K., Levy, J., & Peshkin, M. (2009). Local and Absentee Voter Registration Drives on a College Campus (CIRCLE Working Paper No. 66). Retrieved from Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) website: http://www.civicyouth.org/PopUps/WorkingPapers/WP_66_CastleLevyPeshkin.pdf
Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement
That only proves that most students now are developing their social awareness. They are a huge part of the country’s citizens that can really affect the situation.
[…] CIRCLE – A nonpartisan research center studying youth civic engagement and civic education. »… […]
Youth of today is proving to themselves that their nation needs their support. Wanting to achieve all the positive changes give the youths all courage they need.
the youth is the future, they always will be so its important to start them off right
[…] October 2009 CIRCLE report has been released about college students and voting. Here are some of the […]
“Students from swing states preferred home-state voting over local voting by an 8-to-1 ratio”
Interesting. I guess it makes sense but I am surprised by the overwhelming preference for state voting.
Candidats should pay more attention to the youth ahywhere they vote. Thats a big auditory.
The report on student’s voting is absolutely right,as they are the future of our nation just think about future next.
Many people believe that youth of today will be our hope for better future. They become more aggressive because of their attitude towards all the issues that we are currently experiencing.
It’s interesting that in-person voter drives reach many students who would not otherwise vote with the tremendous use of the Internet. But if you can get people to vote, I guess it doesn’t matter the platform.