UF's Graham Center participates in national effort to chronicle 2008 race

October 6, 2008

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Students from the University of Florida are participating in a nationwide expansion of the Harvard University Institute of Politics’ Campus Voices project, an effort started last fall that allows college students to share their experiences tracking the people and events of the 2008 presidential race.

The project encourages students to voice their opinions and report via video clips, written articles and blog posts on the different ways young people are politically active on their campuses and in their states. The general election version of the project includes UF and other colleges and universities across the country.

The University of Florida’s Web site for Campus Voices is sponsored by the Bob Graham Center for Public Service and is located at http://www.campusvoices.org/ufl. The Web site also includes all the information students in any state would need to register and vote in November.

The Graham Center is a member of the National Campaign for Political and Civic Engagement, which was established in 2003 at Harvard’s Institute of Politics. The campaign unites 19 university centers that are committed to developing civic-minded and politically engaged students. Campus Voices is the collaborative project of the campaign members this election year. Graham Center student Sara Meerow, a political science senior, manages the UF Campus Voices project.

The project provides a new venue for students to share information and to highlight how important courting younger voters will be to campaigns. In the last two national elections, younger voter turnout increased markedly. Approximately 10 million votes were cast in the 2006 midterm elections by 18- to 29-year-olds. This demographic group also cast slightly more votes than seniors 65 and older in the 2004 elections, according to exit polls.