Green Votes Could Decide the Presidential Race in 2008

  This November, analysts suspect that voters in the United States will come out of the woodwork like they never have before. Many of those votes will be “Millennial Voters,” 18-30 year-old voters who, in many cases, are heading to the polls of the first time. There numbers are growing. Currently, Millennial Voters make up about 1/4 of the electorate, but by 2015, it is expected that they’ll make up 1/3 of the electorate.

The Energy Action Coalition’s Power Vote campaign, which kicked off earlier this month hope to reach out to these young voters, encouraging them to vote not red or blue, but instead to vote green. Millennial voters are, in general, much more interested in the environment, and with their numbers rising, they could very well decide this election.

Power Vote isn’t endorsing one candidate or the other. Instead, they hope to educate at least one million voters, gaining their support on the following six platforms:

1. Green job creation and security
2. Green energy investment
3. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
4. Reduction of dependency on fossil fuels and nuclear power
5. Support for UN climate treaties
6. Refusal of campaign contributions from energy industries

In short, Power Vote wants people to vote for the candidate with the more positive stance on going green. They may not be endorsing one candidate or another, but at this point, Senator Barack Obama is the clear “winner” when it comes to going green. However, many feel like Senator John McCain’s plan is better for reducing US dependency on foreign oil.

In any case, check out Power Vote to read more about the green issues dictating this election. You can also stay up-to-date with all campaign coverage at the business channel’s One Vote Matters.

Pictures via Newscom.