London School of Economics

�Cybervoters: The Internet and the Youth Vote of the 2008 American Presidential Election�

The typical voting rate for Americans aged 18 to 29 hovers around 25 percent�far lower than the typical rate for older Americans. Recent elections have shown a slight increase in this number, however. The growth of the Internet in political campaigning to increase support has also changed the demographics contacted by Presidential campaigns. This dissertation proposes that using different online tools such as social networking, online fundraising, and video posting has led to an increase in youth voter turnout in the 2008 Presidential Election based on the results of an Internet survey completed by Americans aged 18 to 29.