Republicans Courting Young Voters In This Election
DENVER (CBS4)- Republicans could get help in the upcoming election from a voting block that has twice helped propel the president to victory. A new poll finds more millennials are voting with the GOP than Democrat this year.
In the midterm election the young voters could be a swing vote.
"We've registered almost 30,000 young voters just this calendar year," said New Era Colorado spokesman Steve Fenberg.
According to the organization's website, "New Era Colorado Foundation is an innovative vehicle for hands-on democracy. We engage, educate, and train a new generation of active citizens and young leaders in Colorado."
Fenberg said the organization have run their biggest ever young voter registration drive. He predicts a big turnout with everyone getting a ballot in the mail.
"In the past voters who requested a mail ballot through voter registration efforts were much more likely to vote than those who did not," said Fenberg.
A new poll by Harvard's Institute of Politics found of 18-29-year-olds who say they are voting, half want a Republican-led Congress. That is the opposite compared to the 2010 midterm election.
"I think the shift is in how millennials view government. Big government is crumbling before our eyes and so you look at that, millennials are sick of government intervening in every facet of life," said Jonathan Lockwood with the conservative-leaning group Generation Opportunity.
The organization has been active in Colorado, spending millions of dollars on catchy TV ads targeting young voters.
"We look at jobs and the economy, we look at tax policy and things our generation faces," said Lockwood.
Despite all the efforts to motivate millennials, the Harvard poll found only one in four will vote this year.
"I think young people are probably pretty disenchanted with both parties right now but to me that's not a reason to give up but double down," said Fenberg.
