# Is Bernie's failure to get young people out to vote the fault of Bernie or young people?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bernies-failure-to-get-young-people-out-to-vote-the-fault-of-bernie-or-young-people/848924>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [March 4, 2020, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bernies-failure-to-get-young-people-out-to-vote-the-fault-of-bernie-or-young-people/848924 "2020-03-04T15:04:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 7

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bernies-failure-to-get-young-people-out-to-vote-the-fault-of-bernie-or-young-people/848924/121 "2020-03-10T16:36:37Z")

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> [@DSeid](#):
>
> Presidential elections 1986 to 2000 (four) - once over 40% turnout for the demographic.
> 
> Presidential elections 2004 to 2016 (four) - all over 40% turnout for the demographic. Highest in '08.
> 
> Those currently in the demographic vote more commonly than those who were in the demographic a generation or more past.

[My cite does not agree with your assertion.](https://www.childtrends.org/indicators/youth-voting) I suspect that has to do more with how the demographic is defined than with the accuracy of either of our data.

In either case, it’s clear that voter participation increases with age.

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**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bernies-failure-to-get-young-people-out-to-vote-the-fault-of-bernie-or-young-people/848924/122 "2020-03-11T00:08:38Z")

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It really doesn’t. Check the actual numbers in the appendix 1. Now mind you your cite is looking at the youngest subgroup of 18 to 24 only while the one I cited was 18 to 29, but not much different.

Average turnout 18-24 year olds presidential elections last 4 cycles(2004-2016):40.9

For the 4 cycles before that (1988-2000): 35.9.

Mind you going back farther not as bad, and 1972 was an outlier year with especially good youngest voter turnout: 49.6. Above even Obama in '08. Of course that excited youth turnout was what lead to the overwhelming D win that year … by McGovern against Nixon … nevermind.

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