Vote Drives Gain Avid Attention of Youth in '04

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Vote Drives Gain Avid Attention of Youth in '04
By TIMOTHY EGAN

Published: September 15, 2004

PORTLAND, Ore. - Four years ago, the presidential election was not even white noise to Marie Reyes. She had bigger concerns, like, um, anything except that whole Social Security lockbox thing that Al Gore and George Bush kept talking about.

"There was nothing in that election that I felt even remotely related to my life," said Ms. Reyes, who is 22.

But now, even with a full college classload, a baby and a part-time job, she spends nearly 20 hours a week in Albuquerque, her hometown, trying to get other young people to register to vote.

What happened to change Ms. Reyes was not just the issues - terrorism, the Iraq war and college costs, she said - but simple math.

"It hit me the same way it hits other people when I tell them: New Mexico was decided by 366 votes - I mean, that's how many people I expect to register, because I think I can do 300 easy," she said.

Ms. Reyes is part of the clipboard army scouring malls, public squares, concerts, county fairs and schools this year in search of what campaign managers consider the most malleable of electoral quarry: the young, unregistered voter.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/15/politics/campaign/15youth.html?ex=1095912000&en=871091867c07d37d&ei=5065&partner=MYWAY