National surge of younger voters linked to Parkland shooting

Demonstrators walk in the March for Our Lives rally on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., on March 24. Data show younger adults have contributed to a surge in voter registrations nationwide since the shooting attack at a South Florida high school. File Photo by Mark Wallheiser /UPI Protesters hold American Flags at the March for Our Lives demonstration in New York City on March 24, which called for gun control reforms in the aftermath of the deadly shooting attack at a South Florida high school. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI Protesters demonstrate in front of the White House March 24 during the March for Our Lives rally for gun reform. A new study shows the attack may be having an impact on the number of younger adults registering to vote for the November midterms. File Photo by Leigh Vogel/UPI A Parkland, Fla., student marches at the March for Our Lives rally in Washington, D.C., March 24. A new study shows the attack may be having an impact on the number of younger adults registering to vote for the November midterms. File Photo by David Tulis /UPI Supporters of March for Our Lives hang their signs along the fence surrounding the Andrew Jackson Statue in Layfayette Square outside of the White House in Washington, DC on March 24, 2018. Photo by Leigh Vogel/UPI Protesters gather at the March for Our Lives rally at City Hall in San Francisco on March 24. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI Protester Kate Walsh listens to speakers at the March for Our Lives demonstration in New York City on March 24. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI Protesters hold photos of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings at the March for Our Lives demonstration in New York City on March 24. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI A March for Our Lives attendee holds up her hands -- which read, "Don't shoot" -- during the event in Washington on March 24. File Photo by Leigh Vogel/UPI Demonstrators crowd Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., during the March for Our Lives rally on March 24. File Photo by David Tulis /UPI

July 20 (UPI) -- Voter registration among younger adults has risen sharply across the United States since the shooting attack at a South Florida high school in February, election statistics show.

A new analysis shows registration among voters aged 18-29 significantly increased in multiple key battleground states over the past seven months, possibly foretelling a Democratic boost come November.

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Data firm TargetSmart said it analyzed statistics in 39 states with available data and used Feb. 14 -- the day of the school shooting attack in Parkland, Fla. -- as a reference point. The assault, which killed 17, spurred a national movement for gun control and included large numbers of young voters.

TargetSmart said registration among voters 18-29 increased nationally by more than 2 percent, signifying a younger turnout is on the rise.

In Florida in December, young adults accounted for 26 percent of all new registrations in the state. After the shooting, that share climbed to 34 percent -- an increase of nearly 28,000 new voters. By the end of April, nearly 40,000 had registered, a hike of 41 percent.

The trend isn't limited to Florida. A state-by-state analysis shows more younger voters are showing up in key battleground races.

Pennsylvania, which has races for the U.S. Senate, House and for governor, saw youth voter registration surge more than 16 points after Parkland -- from 45 to 61 percent.

Other states showed similar increases -- New York had a 10.7-point hike, Virginia 10.5 points, Indiana 9.9 points and Arizona 8.2 points.

In Nevada, youth registrants climbed from 32 to 39 percent after Parkland -- and young registrations in Rhode Island surged 11 percent. Conversely, the state with the largest drop in younger registrations was West Virginia, down 12 percent after the shooting in mid-February.

The surging numbers appear to reflect a drive launched last month by Parkland students -- called "March for Our Lives: Road to Change" -- to travel across the United States and urge young voters to register.

"At the end of the day, we can turn the tide," Houston student Kelly Choi said at a rally this month. "We can make a change."

"I'm also going to be going to D.C. a lot to lobby. And I'm going to be traveling way more than I ever have in my life -- to try to fix this issue," Parkland student-turned-activist David Hogg said.

The registration trend aligns with a poll by the Harvard Institute of Politics after the Parkland shooting that found 64 percent of those 18-29 favor common sense gun reforms. The figure represented a 15 percent rise over a 2013 survey taken in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School attack.