Only 32.4 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds in the United States vote, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics.

That translates to approximately 6.48 million people out of 20 million.

The young age group showing its indifference to politics and voting is a national problem. The percent of voters in this age group has steadily declined since 1972, when the legal age for voting was changed from 21 to 18, according to the Web site for Kids Vote!

www.kidsvote.interpath.net/info/

In 1972 only 50 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds voted.

The number keeps declining. In 1996, 32 percent of registered 18- to 24-year-olds voted and only 4 percent of that age group was even registered to vote.

By 1998 fewer than 20 percent of that age group voted.

Kids Vote! is a private nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes voter participation by education for students in kindergarten through high school. The Web site tries to encourage more kids to vote, and the Internet may be the means to get the 18-to-24- age-group motivated to start voting.

According to State Sen. Kent Adams, only 22 percent of total registered voters, not just the 18- to 24-year-olds, voted in the last municipal election.

Quoted from an article written by Thomas Rybarczyk in the April 13 issue of The Current, the school paper for Hononegah High School in Illinois, Chris Widmayer, the press secretary for U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. said, "They don't understand. (The 18- to 30-year-old population) just doesn't vote and I don't know why."

Rybarczyk wrote that many young people don't think voting is important. They don't believe the issues concern them and they don't think the politicians are addressing them. Widmayer said it is everyone's civic responsibility to vote and it should be taken seriously.

Adams said the lack of voters is a problem and people have lost interest.

"People are turned off," he said.

This appears to be a local problem, too.

Lacey Patterson, 19, of North Webster, said, "I'm registered to vote." But she doesn't vote because, she said, her life is too busy. She does believe it is important to vote.

Shannon Stark, 20, of North Webster, said she doesn't vote either. She is too busy and doesn't have time to vote.

"I'm 18 and I don't vote because I don't really care," said Craig Jensen of Syracuse.

Kyle Hollon, 18, of North Webster, thinks it's important to vote, but he doesn't pay much attention to politics.

"I don't think one vote will make much difference," said Trent Shively, 18, of Warsaw. Shively is registered to vote, however.

Dustin Silva, 20, of Syracuse, is registered, too, but he doesn't vote either.

"I think it's very important," said Rochelle Fletcher, 22, of Warsaw. "But I don't honestly know what's going on." Fletcher is not registered to vote.

There are those who do vote, however.

Brooke Westover, 20, of Warsaw said she votes.

"I want to vote, just haven't done it yet," said Scott Good, 18, of Warsaw.

"My mom just told me to go vote," said Erin Shalley, 19, of Winona Lake.

Adams said he hopes to get a bigger turnout at the upcoming presidential election in November. He said government is in everyone's lives.

"Those of us who are in public office - we're only the vehicle. We need people involved to tell us what they think."

The international honors society at Ivy Tech in Warsaw, Phi Theta Kappa, is helping to promote voting. They have set up a booth on campus to pass out literature and information on voting, according to the Ivy Tech dean, Joann Walgamuth.

Also promoting voting is the popular television channel, MTV. MTV's Web site, MTV.com, offers information and many links to help young people get registered and catch up on campaigns. [[In-content Ad]]