In response to the ongoing conversation about the youth vote turnout (here, here and here), I recently brought the question to Twitter: How do we better reach the 18-24s?

@einmaleins suggested “finding a way of having them vote with their cell phones perhaps??”

But what about cell phones is the hit? Is convenience the key, or is it the novelty?

@einmaleins follows up and says:  I think both. Convenience, cause it fits their lifestyle and novelty as in making politics exciting and the THING to do.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this suggestion, mainly because I wonder: Would making voting available via cell phones really cause all the 18-24 year olds to become as dedicated to voting as the text-happy viewers of American Idol? Would Internet voting do the same thing?

If you’re young and not voting, is the only thing holding you back from participating in democracy the can’t-fight-it desire for more features on your cell? Really?

(Meet me in the comments section below – or e-mail me your thoughts at [email protected]. All ages of voters and non-voters are welcome to enlighten me… )