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Groups work to get young voters to the polls

Voters in Ypsilanti, Mich.
Paulette Parker
/
Michigan Radio
Voters in Ypsilanti, Mich.

Young voters could play a crucial role in Tuesday’s election results, and groups on both ends of the political spectrum are working to get them to the polls.

The liberal advocacy group NextGen Michigan is working to increase voter turnout for people ages 18-35.

Since January of this year, the group says they’ve registered 40,000 young voters in the state.

The group is using digital ads, in-person events and texts.

Eliza Webb is the state youth director with NextGen Michigan.

She says this could a banner year for the young vote.

“Young people typically don’t vote in the numbers we can, so when we do turnout we make a really, really big impact,” she said.

Adam Green is the founder of the James Madison College Conservatives on the campus of Michigan State University. He says his group is working to get young voters out by hosting forums to help people on all points of the political spectrum find common ground.

“I think starting a conversation in person with somebody will eliminate the assumptions right off the bat that they have about you,” said Green.

Election officials say, based on the number of absentee ballots, Tuesday could be a record for voter turnout.