October 2, 2007
Voting by the Numbers: How Age and a College Education Matter
Fewer than half of U.S. citizens ages 18 to 24 voted in the last presidential election while nearly three-quarters of those ages 55 and older did, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The good news about the youth vote is that the 47 percent rate of voting among the 18-to-24 age group in 2004 represented an increase of 11 percentage points over the previous presidential election, in 2000.
Among the other voting statistics listed in a “special edition” fact sheet released this week, the Census Bureau reported that a college degree makes a big difference in whether a citizen is likely to go to the polls.
In 2004, four out of five citizens who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher voted. That compared with fewer than three out of five citizens whose highest level of educational attainment was a high-school diploma.
Sara Hebel | Posted on Tuesday October 2, 2007 | PermalinkComments
Previous: Goodbye Turkey Legs, Hello Tailgaters
Next: Should Obama's Daughters Benefit from Affirmative Action?
“A college degree makes a big difference in whether a citizen is likely to go to the polls.” That means that college educated people elected George Bush. So much for being college educated.
— marci Oct 2, 04:33 PM #
My opinion is that the “college educated” made a GOOD selection in President Bush. Can you imagine how bad off we would probably be now if John Kerry or Al Gore had won. An education helps you see more than just the forest — you can distinguish the trees.
— Don Lewis Oct 2, 05:46 PM #