Term Paper on Virgin Voters

 

One of the most important privileges in a democracy is the citizens' participation in the election of a leader. The power of a single vote, theoretically, can determine which candidate will be selected by the people to govern the state or the country. In order to make this critical decision, each citizen must be informed of the candidates and their respective policy platforms. But today, with an increasing indifference to politics in the United States, there is a creeping apathy to participating in civic life. Whether it is meaningless policy debates, empty political platitudes or the quality of the candidates running, a prevailing attitude of cynicism-what philosopher and cultural critic Peter Sloterdijk (1987) calls "an enlightened false consciousness"-seems to be the dominant mode of political discourse in the U.S. In fact, in the 1996 presidential election, only 49 percent of the people in America voted at all, a number which included fewer than 33 percent of the college students eligible to vote (Mitrovich 1998).

 

The intent of the following research is to show how young persons, specifically first-time voters (18 to 24 years of age), gathered and analyzed information regarding the 2000 U.S. presidential election. Also examined were the various media formats used by these persons to gather information. To accomplish these goals, the researchers studied a population of University of Wisconsin-Madison students who reside in the Sellery residence hall. This group is attending the university to earn a bachelor's degree in each student's chosen field. The residents are from a variety of backgrounds, ranging from rural to urban and from low income to wealthy.

These students live in a primarily educational/institutional environment; however, dorm life is known for its "fun lifestyle" as well. Roommates, other students in the dorm, and resident advisors all have an influence on the choices a student makes. For the purpose of this study, it is important to note the variety of ways in which the students could access information about the election and the candidates. Most students either have computers with Internet access in their dorm rooms, or have access to campus computer labs that allow for Internet use. It is safe to assume that most students own a radio and/or television; however, fewer students might read a newspaper on a daily basis. Professors, other students on campus, and family history could also play a role in how a student gathers and/or receives information. In addition, students may have contact with Student-run political organizations representing the Democratic, Republican, Reform, and Green parties. The research in this study attempted to ascertain the different sources used. An assumption was asserted that this category of voters would largely gather information about the candidates through television or conversation. However, the rise of Internet media might have also played a larger role in the information process, and gave greater exposure to policy and political platforms of the candidates. Critical analysis of this increased exposure to information would be key in deciding if the voters' information "habits" influenced their decision.

The results of the study lead to the conclusion that first-time voters had a desire to participate in the electorate, but many of them would not. According to the students polled, 83 percent stated they planned to vote in the 2000 presidential election. However, national voter turnout in the election was only 38.6 percent among 18 to 29 year olds. The Voter News Service estimated that 38.6 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds made it to the polls [in 2000], according to Russ Freyman of the Third Millennium Election 2000 Campaign. In 1996, 32 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds voted, which could indicate an increase in young voters' turnout this year - slightly more than half of all eligible voters went to the polls Tuesday, with young people, ages 18- 29, casting 17 percent of the approximately 105 million votes nationwide. In comparison, official voting statistics for the city of Madison showed a 66.93 percent turnout for ward 31, and a 62.32 percent turnout for ward 32 (City of Madison 2000). Both of these wards are "dominated by students" (Wieben 2000). While voting was up from the previous election, the turnout of the age group was still low. This may have been due in part to the problems students faced in gaining information on the election and the voting process. While researching this user group's election information needs, the researchers discovered that students voting for the first time were often faced with a variety of unknowns ranging from a lack of trustworthy information about candidates to difficulties deciphering the voting process itself. One such example was a non-resident, 20-year-old first-time voter in her junior year, who highlighted a significant problem concerning the lack of information regarding the "how and where" to vote. This student indicated that, although she wanted to vote, she did not know where to get an absentee ballot or what to do with it once she obtained it.

They're probably not going to even bother [voting] because they don't have any information. It's extremely frustrating. In this situation it appeared that the campus was not making information easily accessible for students from out-of-state.
Unable to find the answers she needed, the student finally had to rely on information she gathered through phone calls and e-mails with her mother, who she considered a reliable source. Some of the students involved in the study also felt that most of the information they received about the candidates was not credible. There was a feeling of uncertainty in the media and its depictions of the candidates. Questions about the legitimacy and validity of sources are serious issues in the information gathering process. In the newspaper, television, and radio media (the media most commonly used by students in the survey to access information), is the information skewed or slanted? How reliable and/or credible is the information? What are the shortcomings of these information formats? It is necessary for the librarian and other intermediaries to determine these aspects of the information sources in order to advise students on how to best use the data found. It is also important to understand how the individual makes decisions according to the information presented in these media in order to fully comprehend the user's needs. The methods in which a person interacts with the information environment are essential to understanding voting behavior.

 

An individual (information user) brings a schema of prior knowledge and inferences into exchanges of information. The manner in which the user gathers the information may determine their attitude and responsiveness in the situation. In this study, only 51 percent of those polled suggested that information gathered throughout the election had influenced their decision. In contrast, almost 37 percent stated the information had no effect, while 12 percent had no response or did not know. The major separation exists in the individual's willingness to vote and the actuality of persons voting. To address this concern, The New Millennium Young Voters Project (National Association of Secretaries of State 2000) stated: The two main reasons that young people give for not voting are: they don't think their vote makes a difference [26%], and they don't have enough information [25%]. The lack of information is of extreme importance in the analysis of the users' interaction with their environment. By examining this aspect, further research could determine to what degree election information influences decisions in the 18 to 24 year old age group in comparison to other age groups, and why young persons are not becoming informed on the issues involved in the election. In relation to library and information services, assisting the user in gathering information may help alleviate the previously mentioned concerns. By addressing specific user needs, librarians can locate information that is fairly neutral and allow the user to draw from personal inferences to formulate conclusions, rather than from external pressures influencing the decision. Bryce Allen (1996) draws an outline for a user-centered design in which the librarian would serve as an intermediary between the user and the information system.

 

In this model, the librarian addresses the user's needs in a collaborative manner while assisting in the information gathering process by directing, guiding, and/or advising. In this regard, college campuses need to take on the responsibility of disseminating information to their population of students to prepare them for Election Day. Such a vitally important issue should not be left to the student political organizations alone.

Campus libraries in particular have a golden opportunity to help educate students about the voting process. One way would be to set up election information services tables in the larger, busier libraries far in advance of Election Day (perhaps during National Voter Registration Week in September). The tables could have informational literature available about candidates, issues, voter registration, campus and city political organizations, polling precincts and absentee ballot information. A recent Harvard study indicated a desire of first-time voters to know more about the voting process and issues that relate to students, which would in turn motivate them to vote (Curris and Warren 2000). Also, library personnel should be stationed at the table whenever possible to answer questions.

 

The School of Library and Information Studies could possibly create a practicum project based on this for the enterprising library student, which could alleviate some concerns about funding and staffing such an endeavor. Implementing ideas such as these would not only create opportunities for information service for libraries, but would give students the additional information they need to make educated, informed decisions. By serving as "information brokers" and intermediaries, librarians make themselves an indispensable part of educating the student populace about electoral politics. Moreover, Kuhlthau's (1993) five levels of involvement between intermediaries and users also provides librarians with a solid framework for either simply identifying certain texts for good political information or advising or counseling patrons interested in formulating searches or evaluating sources. It is also important for librarians to counter what William Wresch (1996) referred to as the intentionally ignorant, or those who remain uninformed by choice, so that these people are aware of the issues as well. Librarians can also act as "information activists" in the electoral process.

 

They can support the community by promoting information about candidates, polling places, and political organizations which addresses information access issues and presumably creates a more informed voting public. By understanding the information needs of the public, librarians can create additional avenues for information and aid in increased participation in the electorate. As always, additional research is needed to validate these claims. In terms of the political parties and the candidates who represent them, more direct communication with students regarding their stances on issues that relate to youth voters might create a more positive outlook in the students, particularly if they feel involved in the political process. Candidates might find good responses through the use of the political student groups on campus.

Although these organizations are visible on campus, it seemed from the survey that they had little impact on the information needs of the voters. It is possible that if the student groups revised their methods of informing students, they could better assist them in making sound decisions. The constraints of this survey due to time and security concerns leave room for more extensive research analysis in the future. By expanding the research to youth voters in private universities or those who are not in college, and by looking at working class or even poverty-stricken voters, new insights and perspectives could be gained on the information needs of a variety of first-time voters. If future researchers attempt to duplicate the study presented in this paper, or adapt it for the groups noted above, certain actions should be taken to ensure results more statistically representative of the target population. More time should be taken to develop the sample population in terms of race, age, gender, income, etc. For college groups, access will need to be obtained to university records to determine what would be needed to gain a representative sample. This could be a significant barrier, as student records are confidential.

For non-college groups, demographic information could perhaps be gained from U.S. Census data for the city or state under consideration. Once this information is obtained, researchers may want to consider using a numerically larger sample to increase the likelihood of statistical accuracy in the results. The survey should also be constructed in a way that allows researchers to go back and re-query the same students post-election and compare the results to the initial survey. While this study was not indicative of UW-Madison's first-time voters in their entirety, it created a sense of how a randomly chosen group felt about the election and the ease with which they were able to learn about candidates and issues. Given the overwhelming percentage of respondents who stated they would be voting in the election, the findings serve to dispel the somewhat common misperception that young voters are apathetic, while highlighting their very real information needs. This paper also presents suggestions for librarians to better serve the information needs of this user group, and gives possibilities for future research. It is the responsibility of librarians and other information consultants to be aware of the information needs of their users regarding the election and the candidates, and determine how best to fulfill those needs. This will enable every voter, especially those voting for the first time, to make an informed and educated decision at the polls. As the close, still undetermined, results of the 2000 presidential election show, every person's vote does make a difference.