Will young voter enthusiasm stick?

Emory University’s sidewalks are still chalked with Election Day demands, rainbow-hued encouragements to “Vote Obama!” “Vote McCain!” or just “VOTE!!!”

“Hardly any space left,” said Alex Landon, a political science junior who perched on the colored concrete Wednesday.

Chalkings, hoarse voices and a backlog of Twitter updates were the most immediate reminders that this week’s historic election had engaged young voters in ways no campaign had before, but more proof of their involvement trickled in by Wednesday.

Between 21.6 million and 23.9 million people ages 18 to 29 took part in Tuesday’s election, voting 2-to-1 for Barack Obama over John McCain, said exit poll data released by the nonpartisan Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.

Turnout among these voters was at least 49.3 percent, an increase of 2.2 million voters over 2004, when voters ages 18 to 29 turned around a decade of declining involvement, said Peter Levine, the director of the Tufts University-based center said. And turnout among the young could end up as high as 54.5 percent, Levine said, which would be the second-highest turnout since 1972, when 18-year-olds could vote for the first time.

But how do those young voters stay engaged after the sidewalk chalk fades away? Even Obama supporters aren’t sure that the momentum of the campaign can be kept up between elections.

Policies, not parties

“It would take a super-human level of organization,” said Landon, who mailed in a vote for Obama to his home state of Missouri two weeks ago, and kept track of Tuesday’s election returns between writing a paper for his German class.

He and friend Matt Milunski, a psychology senior from Florida, agreed Wednesday that Emory’s campus had bustled with campaign activities, especially for Democrats, but whether that energy level continues depends on how Obama governs. A hard swing to the left would turn off young supporters, they said.

“What’s a Democrat or a Republican but a name?” said Milunski, who considered voting for John McCain, but thought Sarah Palin was too extreme. “It’s your policy that counts.”

Eric Cumbee, a member of the College Republicans at Georgia Southern University, said he’s looking for ways to stay politically involved after his December graduation. He expects Obama will stay in touch with his young supporters, and that he’ll reach out to young conservatives, too.

But when 2012’s presidential candidates look for votes from the students who waited for hours at the precinct near the Statesboro campus, Cumbee said, they’ll have to look elsewhere. Most will have moved into one of the hardest-to-reach demographics — young voters who aren’t in school.

It’s easier to maintain a volunteer network, but Obama might have to start fresh, said Cumbee, who studies information technology. “I’m really gonna be interested to see if he’s going to be able to rebuild those parts of the organization again.”

‘Part of something’

Obama has two options to keep young voters engaged, Levine said: encourage non-partisan community service, or use his volunteers to support his agenda.

What the president-elect should not do: “Treat people as dumb.”

“The Obama campaign did an excellent job of treating people as if they were smart,” Levine said. “If you’re … trying to scare them to act in a particular way or giving out skewed information, young people have a low tolerance for that.”

Still, the excitement of Obama’s victory isn’t wearing off for some young people.

Spelman College drama major LaJoy Smith already replays her Election Day memories, storing them for when she can tell her children and grandchildren, “I was there.” She voted for the first time last week and was crying into the phone and sending Facebook messages until 4 a.m. Wednesday. She wants to do more community service, she said, and her indifference about politics changed on Tuesday night.

“I feel like my vote made a difference. I just felt like I was part of something,” Smith said. “If we’re willing to work with Obama, over time, everything should get back on track. It feels like today is a new day.”