Young voters are expected to have a substantial impact in determining who will be the next U.S. president, and as candidates are visiting the Lone Star State seeking votes in the March 4 primary, they have a chance to become educated voters for a better future.

The March 4 primaries are crucial for both Democrats and Republicans as Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont and Texas vote for 370 Democratic and 256 Republican delegates.

A March 2007 youth vote study by the Kennedy School of Government’s Institute of Politics said 85 percent of college students and 71 percent of non-college young adults are registered to vote.

The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave 18-year-olds the right to vote in 1971 in response to protests of the Vietnam War. The following year, 52 percent of voters ages 18 to 24 exercised that right. The 1972 election received the highest young voter turnout to date. After that, the turnout dropped significantly but has increased with each election since the late 1990s, according to a 2008 youth vote study by The Century Foundation.

The young voters of today have a chance to make history in the 2008 presidential elections by simply showing up to vote. More importantly, they have a chance to impact the future of America by being actively involved in the matters of today.