As politicians and campaign workers across the country struggle to entice young voters, ages 18 to 25, to get involved, Centre County politicians say they face the same dilemma.

Political party chairs agree that young people's disengagement from politics is a problem.

But few organizations are doing anything to curb the problem, according to a new study conducted by the Allegheny College's Center for Political Participation and the University of Akron's Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics.

Researchers surveyed 403 Democratic and 402 Republican county chairs from the country's 1,000 largest counties in fall 2003.

According to the study, only 8 percent of those surveyed cited young voters as the most important target group for the future of their political party.

"Students are just the same [as other demographics]. We're an interest group as well. If we're treated the same way, then I think the rewards can be significant for both parties," said Sean Misko, Penn State Political Science Association president.

Contrary to the study's results, Misko said he thinks political parties are targeting the younger demographic for the general election coming up in November.

"I think both the Bush and Kerry people are trying to target a younger demographic," Misko said.

About 41 percent of those surveyed said their group has programs to encourage voting. However, most of those programs are not geared toward young people.

Young people's lack of participation in the political process is a problem, according to 88 percent of party leaders.

This is true for politicians who represent large universities like Penn State, said Don Houser, spokesman for State Sen. Jake Corman, R-Bellefonte.

Because Penn State students usually do not reside in Centre County longer than four years, most students are registered to vote in their home counties.

This presents a problem for candidates like Corman, who represent a population of young people but who get little support come election time, Houser said.

The low percentage of young people who vote can be attributed to individuals rather than a larger problem, he said.

"Everybody should take voting as a responsibility on their part, but it's certainly not forced upon anybody in this country," Houser said.

Getting young people involved in political parties is no more difficult than getting people from various other age demographics involved, Houser added.

"[Political groups and others] are organizations and clubs that take time out of your schedule to be a part of," he said.

Bob Shepherd, Centre County Democrats chairman, said he has seen varying levels of participation from young people during elections.

"I think the participation of the students and the student body actually voting was relatively high [in the 2000 election], and it's just plummeted ever since," Shepherd said. "We know that participation in terms of activity beforehand for everyone including the Penn State student body will be better [in November] than it's been since 2000."

About 52 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 25 voted in 1972, compared to about 37 percent in 2000, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.

People form political opinions based on their involvement in different organizations or institutions, such as a university, said Connie Flanagan, a professor of youth civic development at Penn State.

"People essentially don't vote all by themselves. They do it because they get recruited into it," Flanagan said.

Over the years, institutions, such as universities or unions, have become less politically affiliated, leaving young people without a group to identify with, she said.

Politicians are likely to receive support from the younger demographic if they devote time to addressing issues important to young people, Flanagan said.

"Young people clearly have issues they care about and opinions about them, not just the elderly," she said.