Austin Youth Council Aims to Engage Young Voters
The Austin Youth Council hopes to increase the city's low voter turnout by engaging potential voters at a young age. Photo by KUT News.Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
A whopping 7 percent of voters took part in the 2011 Austin City Council Elections. Three council seats were at stake. Incumbents were reelected to two seats. The third race is set for a June 18 run-off .
Austin voters are historically disengaged when it comes to the civic process. Critics say people who are quick to complain are often slow to get involved in local politics. However, a local group of high school students is trying to change that.
KUT’s Emily Donahue sat down with Larry Schooler, the city’s community engagement consultant; Brianna Walker, who is a senior at Crockett High School; and Chris Wagner, a senior at Akins High School, the students behind the new Austin Youth Council.
The Austin Youth Council hopes to give young adults a voice in city policy, as well as, develop a long-range plan for engaging teens and young voters regularly. The group also allows teens interested in politics to get more involved as council representatives.
To hear more about the program, click the audio above. You can also visit the Austin Youth Council on Facebook for more information.
Podcast: Download (5.4MB)
