Young Voters to Have Unprecedented Impact on Presidential Election

Reader's Digest Poll: Millennials are First Generation With Unique Political
Identity; Will Match Seniors in Turnout

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y., May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- An exclusive new poll
commissioned by Reader's Digest, the most widely-read magazine in the world,
finds that voters under 30, or Millennials, are changing the landscape of
American politics this year, and are likely to do so for years to come.
"They are the first generation of young voters that could determine the
next president, and they are using technology to do it in this Facebook
Election," said Reader's Digest Washington Bureau Chief Carl M. Cannon.
Millennials in unprecedented numbers are in search of an aspirational
candidate who matches their commitment to giving back and they break heavily
toward Barack Obama, says Cannon. But while Millennials are more liberal than
their parents, they are not easy to typecast. They are more religious than
the stereotype of young liberals, with a quarter saying that religion has
become more important to them in the last few years; and when replaced with
the word "spiritual" that percentage climbs to one third. Millennials eschew
universal health coverage, agreeing with Obama's healthcare plan and placing
more emphasis on reducing the cost of health care rather than expanding access
to the uninsured.
As further defined in "The Facebook Election," the accompanying piece by
Cannon in the upcoming June issue of Reader's Digest, the Millennials, which
encompass 47 million young adults, constitute the first generation to come of
age in the 21st century. This ambitious demographic are the most frequent
users of popular social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, and
are heavily engaged in volunteerism. Combined, these factors could play a key
role in finally allowing the young vote to determine the winner in November.
Not only does this generation have the potential to shape the 2008 election,
the poll findings indicate they will influence both major political parties
for years to come.
Millennials have found their political voice, not only through these viral
methods, but also by word of mouth. The Reader's Digest poll shows that 47
percent have tried to influence the vote of a friend, and 36% have tried to
influence a parent.
According to the survey, Millennials favor Obama an eye-opening 55 percent
to McCain's 33 percent in a head-to-head match-up. Clinton prevails against
McCain with 49 percent to 39 percent.
"This is historically unprecedented generational appeal for a national
candidate and shows that an aspirational campaign based on hope and a better
future hits the Millennial's sweet spot," says Cannon.
If the candidate they support does not win the nomination, 59 percent of
Millennial Democrats say they will support the nominee of the party
regardless, while 16 percent will go with McCain, and 17 percent are unsure.
Bill Clinton is still admired by this generation, scoring higher approval
ratings than his wife. The former president rated 57 favorable versus Sen.
Clinton, who came in just under Al Gore (51) at 50. And Ralph Nader, once the
standard bearer for young, socially conscious voters, has only a 17 favorable
rating.
The survey was conducted for Reader's Digest by Massachusetts polling firm
SocialSphere Strategies, founded by John Della Volpe, director of polling at
Harvard University Institute of Politics. A total of 797 men and women between
18 and 29 years-old were surveyed online between March 10 and March 14.
The full article and more information about the poll can be found at
http://www.rd.com/facebookelection.
About Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest reaches nearly 40 million readers each month in the United
States and twice as many worldwide. Its U.S. website is http://www.rd.com. The
magazine is published worldwide in 51 editions and 22 languages, and reaches
readers in more than 60 countries. It is the flagship of The Reader's Digest
Association, Inc., a global publisher and direct marketer of products that
inform, entertain and inspire people of all ages and cultures around the
world. Global headquarters are in Pleasantville, N.Y.
SOURCE Reader's Digest

Adam Schiff, Cassin Donn, Ann Hinshaw, Tonya Fleetwood, all of Dan Klores
Communications, +1-212-685-4300, for Reader's Digest