Young voters important, and likely Democratic

The biggest swing voter for elections this year appears to be the one that’s least likely to show up at the polls.

The all-important young voter is the one that can change election outcomes, which is fine with La Crosse county Democratic party co-chair, J.D. Wine.

At least locally, he sees his party connecting with young people.

“If you’re not addressing young people issues, you’re not addressing the upcoming population of the country’s issues and you’re out of it,” Wine said.

Nationwide, however, it has not been the best trends for Democrats.

New registrants in the party among those 18-24 years old has been headed downward for more than 10 years, though the numbers for Democrats far exceed the 25 percent of young voters who register with the Republican party.