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Youth VoteDuring the campaign for the U.S. presidential election in 2004, there was an unprecedented call for the so-called Youth Vote. This ambiguous term is used to define the only formal civic contribution many younger citizens make to their local communities. In this case, "youth" is used to describe 18-25 year-olds. The term "Youth Vote" goes back to the 1930s, when low-income rural and urban young people in the United States were first mobilized to vote in blocs by the youth activism movement. Their issues were largely related to joblessness, homelessness, education, and guarenteed income. While youth were alternately activated and suppressed in their voting habits through the 1950s, the early 1960s saw a renewed interest in encouraging young peoples' progressive voting habits. When Students for a Democratic Society put out a global call to action for youth via the Port Huron Statement, millions of youth around the world reacted. A variety of youth voting efforts sprung up across Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa. The United States experienced a massive upsurge in youth civic action of all sorts, with a particular emphasis on the youth vote. A variety of organizations, including the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the Black Panthers, the Young Lords, and Youth Liberation of Ann Arbor each worked to encourage young people to vote together and for common issues.
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