I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
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Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
Young Obama supporters rallied at UNM before the election. Photo by Gwyneth Doland
A full two thirds of voters under 30 chose Barack Obama over John McCain last week, marking the largest percentage of young voters to swing Democratic since exit polling began in 1972, according an analysis released today by the Pew Research Center. “This pattern of votes, along with other evidence about the political leanings of young voters, suggests that a significant generational shift in political allegiance is occurring,” the report says.
Just eight years ago, when George W. Bush was first elected, party affiliation among young voters was evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. Now there’s a 19-point gap separating the two, with 45 percent identifying as Democrats and only 26 percent who say they’re Republicans.
What’s responsible for this shift? According to the study, young voters are more racially diverse, less religious, more opposed to the war in Iraq and generally more liberal. Here are some details:
“One of the most striking features of young voters is their racial and ethnic diversity. Just 62% of voters age 18-29 identify as white, while 18% are black and 14% Hispanic. Four years ago, this age group was 68% white. In 2000, nearly three-quarters (74%) of young voters were white.”
In addition, only 33 percent of young voters say they regularly go to church, compared to 40 percent of older voters who attend services weekly or more often.
There are also more women in this demographic; 55 percent of voters 18-44 are women.
Not only did they identify more strongly as Democrats, young voters this year were more motivated than older voters. In battleground states, 28 percent of young voters said they had attended a campaign event, far more than other age groups, according to Pew’s post-election survey of voters. Nearly one in 10 gave money to a campaign.
(For more numbers and maps and details specific to New Mexico, please see Matthew Reichbach’s series of stories called “Mapping the Vote.”)
