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Show Low voter turnout 'shocks' American corporation Only 17 percent of America's 18-to-24 year-old voters cast ballots in the 1986 election, and a company called General . Dynamics thinks that's shocking. : But General Dynamics isn't in shock. The company is doing ; something about getting young people to vote. They call it the Vote America Project, and they're providing ; teaching materials to 25,000 high schools across the country. There's more. The company is also supplying personal reg- istration and voting booklets to more than a half-million voting-age voting-age students. The goal is to register every one of them and ; encourage them to become informed voters. There's even more. General Dynamics is running a national TV campaign to encourage older voters, too. : That's because slightly more than half the eligible American ; voters (53 percent) actually cast ballots in the 1986 election. : General Dynamics, in an advertisement about the Vote America project, stated: :'. "...when a government is of half the people and by half the people, sooner or later the worst thing happens. It becomes for half the people. And no American would vote for that." Utah's percentage of voting voters has been higher than the national average, but slipping in recent years. Young people tend to watch their parents' behavior and do as Mom and Dad do. That means the coming primary and general elections provide a shining opportunity to teach youth of the voting age how important the act of voting is. ; Simply invite them to go to the polls with you. : But remember: They must be registered to vote. |