Survey looks at the politics of Gen Y

ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 30 (UPI) -- An online community opened its e-doors Monday with a report providing U.S. presidential candidates info on Generation Y's political leanings.

MeriTalk.com, based in Alexandria, Va., said the information can help presumptive candidates Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and John McCain, R-Ariz., engage this demographic, the Web site's pollster said.

A survey of more than 2,200 Generation Y respondents in the top 10 U.S. cities indicates 73 percent of GenY-ers plan to vote in the November election. Although 48 percent of respondents indicated a Democratic affiliation, 71 percent said they believed a Democratic administration would be best to lead the country.

However, three-fourths of respondents said they would cross party lines to vote for a candidate -- indicating an opportunity for candidates to engage Generation Y in the political process, the survey said. Once engaged, 47 percent of GenY-ers said they would tell others about the candidate they support.

"While Ys appear to be leaning heavily Democratic, their votes and long-term loyalty are in play if the candidates can make them feel part of government," said Alan Balutis, director of North American Public Sector Consulting, Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group. "The election isn't the finish line for Generation Y, it's the starting block."