How Does a January 3rd Caucus Date Affect Young Voters?

From Political Wire...

Iowa's January 3 caucus date -- "11 days earlier than first anticipated and the earliest in state history -- means that most Iowa college students will still be soaking up holiday break when the caucuses kick into gear," the Des Moines Register reports.

"Some observers believe that's bad news because many of those students have already registered to vote in the cities where their schools are located and are less likely to make the effort to caucus once they are home.

"But others say the change is a political windfall that will scatter potentially thousands of young voters into virtually every area of the state, where they can advocate for their preferred candidate."

Someone from the Obama campaign also noted that Iowans who attend college out of the state will be home over winter break and be able to vote. More importantly though, college student won't be clustered in a few precints, but will be spread around. This could make a big difference in rural areas where a few people can change the results.