In the 2000 election, 35 percent of eligible 18- to 24-year-olds in Indiana voted, compared with 68 percent of voters ages 25 and up. Similar percentages were noted nationwide.

This year, with the presidential election predicted to be close, a diverse coalition of groups is trying to mobilize millions of young adults and get them to the polls.

But there's more to political involvement than voting. Many people under age 25 are politically active, and some politicians believe they have much to contribute.

"I'm very impressed in traveling this country and seeing young people and how they're actually affecting the process. It's young people who are energizing things," said Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, a former presidential candidate interviewed at the Democratic convention in Boston.

"Even if you can't vote, you can be a voice and organize people," he said.

Inspired by youth

Thirty-five years after Kucinich began his political career, young people continue to play an active role in campaigns. Indiana Lt. Gov. Kathy Davis credits Hoosier youth with compelling Gov. Joe Kernan to seek a second term.

"The Young Democrats were very influential in creating a Web site to help draft the governor to run. Even when kids are too young to vote, their enthusiasm and a sense of what's important can energize a lot of people," she said.

In some cases, age can be an advantage. Maura Spiegelman, 18, is a Democratic delegate from New Hampshire.

"In the 1st Congressional District for New Hampshire, there were 60 people running. We all gave 30-second speeches about why we wanted to be a delegate. I said that people always talk about wanting to get young people involved in the process and that this was their chance by electing me to the national convention," she said.

The Democrats and Repub licans have organizations dedicated to courting college students. This year's national membership figure for College Republicans is more than 120,000; the Young Democrats count 50,000.

Matt Klein, president of Mar ion County Young Republicans and president of the Pike Township Advisory Board, said the Young Republicans try to "get (young people) involved in the party, whether they just have time to work on Election Day, or they want to support a candidate, work at headquarters, sort mail, answer phones or drive a candidate to a meeting."

The Indiana Republican Party also tries to recruit youth, said executive director Luke Messer. About half of the party's staff is under the age of 25; two-thirds are under age 30.

MTV is using its appeal to youth to get them involved in the political process. The goal of its "Choose or Lose" campaign is to encourage youth to become active in their communities, and it has expanded to include "20 million LOUD," a voter registration campaign, as well as "Rock the Vote," a 50-city bus tour with live acts to encourage youth to vote.

Other voter groups target youth: "Smackdown Your Vote" is a voter registration drive sponsored by World Wrestling Entertainment, and the Hip-Hop Summit has the same goal; its rally in Boston was open only to people who had completed a voter registration form.

Youth become involved in politics for a variety of reasons. Parents often spark their children's interest. Patrice Arent, a Democrat in the Utah State Senate, was with her daughter, Sarah Mulhern, 18, at the Democratic National Convention. They were the only mother-daughter delegate team there.

"I see that my mom, being just one person, can make this huge difference," Sarah said. "I want to make a difference, too."

Politics also played a role in the family life of Nathan Imperiale, 19, a finalist in the "Stand Up and Holla" essay contest, sponsored by MTV and the Republican National Convention. From a very early age, his parents involved him in politics, and one of his earliest memories is accompanying his mother to the polls to vote in a presidential election.

"And it wouldn't be a true Thanksgiving or a big holiday without a huge political debate," he added.

The events of Sept. 11, 2001, and the 2000 election also spurred activism.

"I first became involved in politics after I saw the Bush/Gore election happen. After I saw Gore get the election stolen away from him, I just thought that that was wrong. Also, after Sept. 11, that's really when I started to care about what was going on in the world," said Megan Challender, 19, a college junior and Democratic delegate from Kansas.

Galvanized support

Another teen found Bush to be an inspiration. Tim Casey, 21, a College Republican from Columbus, Ohio, attended the Republican National Convention in New York last month. He said the attacks galvanized his support for the president.

"Before 9/11, I was really undecided, and 9/11 made me start thinking about everything, and the security part made me feel more Republican."

Some people expect the events of 9/11, along with the resulting war in Iraq, to cause a larger voter turnout than in 2000. A poll in the spring by the Harvard Institute of Politics found 62 percent of the college students surveyed expected to vote in the November election, compared to 50 percent of those polled in 2000.

"I think you're gonna see a big difference this year," Casey said. "Before everything happened, I didn't think that who was president would make that big of a difference or would affect our lives. But I think now a lot of people are seeing that will change."

"I think that young people should realize that community service and voting are essentially synonyms," said Clarence Dass, 18, a GOP essay finalist from Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

But both parties would do well to address the concerns of youth. Young people of both parties expressed dismay that politicians rarely target their message at them or ask them for input on issues that concern them.

"I think the candidates feel that reaching out to the children isn't going to help their campaign, so they ignore it. Instead, they're trying to focus on those who are going to get out and vote for them," said Jason Rae, 17, a guest delegate in Boston from Rice Lake, Wis. "If the candidates and the media would focus on issues that matter to them, they'd feel that the candidate cared more about them."

Candidates can learn from youth, said Adam Hunter, 20, an RNC essay finalist from Somerset, N.J. "I don't think either party right now is really reaching out to the youth like they should."

"It's the chicken-and-the-egg thing," said Lucas Shapiro, a participant at the Boston Social Forum, a weekend-long gathering of social activists. "Young people don't vote because their issues aren't addressed. And politicians don't address students because students don't vote."

Editor's note: Y-Press members Allison Gardner, Andy Goldblatt, Emma Hulse, Jordan Denari, Izaak Hayes and Katie McDowell attended the Repub lican National Convention in New York, joining with 8-18 Media from Marquette, Mich., and Children's PressLine of New York City. Y-Press members Melissa Tuckman, Brian Reissaus, Katie Bolinger, Peter DePaolo and Izaak Hayes attended the Democratic National Convention in Boston. This is one of several stories coming from Y-Press convention coverage.

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Y-Press is a nonprofit news organization with offices in The Indianapolis Star building. Stories are researched, reported and written by teams of young people ages 10 to 18. For more information, call (317) 444-2010 or send an e-mail to ypress@in.net.

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