CIRCLE Releases Final 2008 Youth Turnout: Lots to Celebrate, but Still a Ways to Go.

Yesterday CIRCLE released their analysis of the 2008 Census Data, and they have revised their estimates on youth vote turnout. Here's the toplines:

• Overall youth turnout (18 - 29) was revised from an estimated 52 - 53% (based on exit polling data) down to 51.1%. This is still the third highest youth turnout since 18 year-olds were granted the right to vote:

• 22.4 million young Americans voted in November, 2 million more than in 2004.
• Turnout increase 2 percentage points over the 2004 turnout (49%) and 11 points over 2000 turnout levels (40%). It's also worth noting that young voters were the only age demographic to increase their turnout over 2004 levels.
• Turnout among young African Americans was the highest since 1972. 58.2% of young African Americans voted - the highest turnout for any racial/ethnic demographic since 1972.

• Finally, unlike every other state, youth turnout was higher in DC than turnout among voters over 30.

That's the good news, but it wasn't all roses. While the overall youth vote is continuing to trend towards higher and higher rates of participation, that participation is not evenly distributed throughout the youth population. Huge disparities in turnout still exist - particularly when it comes to educational attainment.

• Voter turnout among young people without college experience was at only 36% compared to 62% for those with some college experience.
• The turnout gap between men and women continued to widen in 2008. 54.9% of young women voted in November, compared to just 47.2% of young men.

So good news overall, but still a ways to go in some areas. We need to work on closing the gender and educational gaps in voter turnout, as well as work on increasing down-ballot participation. Part of that is voter registration reform, and part of it needs to be a greater commitment of resources towards registering and GOTVing these demographics.