As thousands of college age students turn out to vote in the upcoming elections this November, the question that stands firm is whether young voters really have an impact on the election.

Although students are constantly encouraged to vote in their communities, oftentimes it’s hard for college students to vote, because they are denied by registrars, or aren’t registered in the state where they attend college, thus aren’t considered as important as older citizens.

In the 2004 presidential elections, 47% of 18 to 24 year olds that were eligible to vote, cast a ballot.

Since the 2004 elections, it seems as if the vote of college age students has become more crucial, especially in recent light of the primaries on “super Tuesday.”

“The usual pattern is that young people vote, in the general election, in low numbers in contrast to the elderly who vote in droves,” said Dr. Paul DeHart, Lee University political science professor. “So far as I know, age patterns for voting primaries are in no way predictive of age patterns for voting in the general election.”

However, Bob Sawnsbrough, political science professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga had a different take on student voters.

“Young voters in 2008 have already had a great impact on the presidential election,” he said. “Particularly the high turnout in caucus states as well as primaries.”

Some people predict that student voter turnout may indeed be higher than expected, because of candidates like Obama, who after much recent successes in his campaign have attracted younger voters.

“Younger voters have been attracted to Obama and to Ron Paul,” DeHart said. “Ron Paul will not get the Republican nomination, nor will he command anything more than a small minority of the total vote, however long he remains in, so the youth vote will probably not be determinative on the Republican side. On the Democratic side, it’s arguable that much of Obama’s support from younger voters has been the result of his campaigns success in mobilizing the young.”

Though the new generation of voters have the potential to decide the election, it depends more on who they cast their ballot supporting.

“(Young voters) enthusiastic participation in the Obama campaign has helped fuel his image as the candidate carrying the generational banner calling for change,” said Sawnsbrough. “However, Hillary Clinton has drawn out more of the older voters, particularly among women.

“The youth vote could be quite important in the November General Election. I doubt Senator John McCain, at age 72, will have a great appeal among young voters as a change candidate, despite his historic maverick role within the GOP,” he said.

So what can be done to increase voter turnout in the upcoming election? First, actually register to vote, whether by absentee ballot, or in the town where you attend school. Keep up with recent news about elections, where to vote, as well as who the candidates are and what they are in favor of.