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Experts: Youth Vote Could Be 'Game-Changer' In Presidential Race

WAYNE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - The debates are over and now the two presidential campaigns are in overdrive as they enter the final two weeks of the race.

Several recent polls show the race is too close to call and now some political observers said the race could be decided by young voters.

WCBS 880's Peter Haskell reports

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William Paterson University political science professor Christine Kelly has been studying the under 30 vote.

"This demographic is fully a quarter of the eligible voting population," said Kelly, who is also director of the American Democracy Project at WPUNJ. "They are really looking for jobs, and they're looking for debt relief."

Kelly said candidates must seek out young voters more than they do for other demographic groups.

"The numbers are there, they are a game-changer," Kelly told WCBS 880's Peter Haskell.

Kelly said voters between the ages of 18 and 29 are less likely to identify with a particular party, meaning their vote is up for grabs.

"They are not party-identified like older generations. They tend to be issue-identified and candidate-identified," Kelly told Haskell.

Some pollsters said young voters gave President Obama the edge in the 2008 race.

Have you made up your mind yet? What issues are key to your decision? Sound off in the comments section below...

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