As the political gambits of the 2008 campaigns kick into high gear, involvement by youth is higher than in any election. According to the Pew Research Center, overall youth turnout - voters ages 17 to 200 for the primaries has increased five percent from the 2004 election.

Four years ago, Conor Rogers saw a need for political volunteers and created the New Jersey Teenage Republican Organization (www.njtars.org) to mobilize young people. Though it started out as a school club, it expanded to serve the county and then the state.

Jack Boeglin has been following Barack Obama since his speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. After doing some research, he decided to start a chapter of Students For Barack Obama at his high school.

It took a while, but the Blunt Youth Radio Project has helped Gavin Bauer find his voice.

Upon graduating from Coronado High School, Shaina Soloman will have more notches on her political belt than many adults. A highly motivated Democrat, Shaina has started a Young Democrats chapter, served as a caucus delegate, volunteered for numerous campaigns and is completing a paid internship with the state Democratic Party.

According to CIRCLE, the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at the University of Maryland, more than 32 million youth ages 18 to 25 will be eligible to vote in the upcoming election. If 55 percent of these young people vote – a record turnout, attained only once, in the 1972 election – more than 17.6 million ballots will be cast.

Considering how important young people have been to this election cycle, it's not surprising that their journalistic peers have the same enthusiasm for covering it.

With a brother who works for the Obama campaign as well as a family that tends to lean Democratic, I have grown up favoring Democrats. Early on in the Indiana primary, I strongly supported Barack Obama for president. I believed that he was the best and only candidate for the job. I agreed with Obama on immigration, global warming and education, and I strongly defended my beliefs up until I arrived at the Republican National Convention in September.