The Newburyport High School senior was 10 when George W. Bush was first elected into office, but as Bush gets set to exit, Earles is part of the youth movement suddenly finding themselves interested in national politics.

"This is extremely important, to vote in the election; it is the most important election in a long time," Earles said. "It's time for the youth to step up and have a say. We can make an impact."

From text messages to YouTube, the 2008 presidential election is geared toward the younger generation in ways never seen before.

As 22 states prepare to cast their ballots in the presidential primaries on Super Tuesday, Assistant City Clerk Tricia Barker this week took note of the number of new, young voters who registered this year.

"I think it's an interesting election with the first woman and first African-American candidate. Someone is getting to the kids because there is a big interest," Barker said.

During the New Hampshire primary election on Jan. 8, more than 84,236 young voters cast ballots, up 27 percent from the 2004 election.

With nonprofit groups such as "Rock the Vote" using music, technology and celebrities to press the next generation to cast their ballots, the number of young voters has drastically increased over the past five years. That has changed the way presidential candidates campaign.

Schools are getting on board, taking advantage of the interest to teach young people about politics and current affairs.

Earles, 18, spent the fall semester working in Portsmouth, N.H., for Hillary Clinton as part of the high school's internship program.

"The high school has an internship program, which counts as a class and shows up on your transcript for college," Earles said. "It is one of the greatest things Newburyport has to offer."

Earles, son of City Councilor Greg Earles, worked for Clinton campaigning door to door, working at a phone bank and explaining Clinton's political platforms to peers and elders alike. The internship with Clinton was his first chance, so he took it, but he admits he'll likely vote for Obama.

Hillary Biggs, a Pentucket Regional High senior, said just yesterday at lunch, four students were debating what the country really needs.

At Pentucket, a class called Citizens in Government that's is built into the senior year curriculum uses the magazine Newsweek as a textbook. Required of all seniors, the semester-long course encourages debate and discussion among peers with a teacher moderating.

"The class is broken up into five categories, national, international, policy and economics and we pick a category and present an article and question to the class," Biggs said. "It's a way to know what going on in the world."

Biggs calls herself undecided, saying she wants to learn more before deciding whom to vote for.

But like Earles, many her age are favoring Obama.

Northern Essex Community College history professor Steve Russell said he sees an overwhelming amount of support on campus for Obama and Republican candidate Ron Paul.

"They are really energized by them," Russell said. "Obama seems younger than the rest of the candidates, and Ron Paul is not part of the establishment."

Northern Essex has worked to get more students active in the political process. A number of programs on campus also provide more exposure to the presidential election.

"Last fall we had voter registration drives on campus and had about 50 people register," Russell said.

Russell also is an adviser of a contemporary affairs club that meets weekly to discusses current events. On Wednesday, the club will meet to listen to commentary by teachers and students about their observations of the primary.

The ultimate goal of Russell and other educators is to keep young people interested in the process after Super Tuesday.

For Earles, his early experiences have shaped his college search and his determination to stay involved in politics. While some students may be making weekend plans between classes, Earles continues his campaigning.

"If my peers are not going to vote, I tell them they are throwing their own rights away," Earles said. "The government we have is a democratic republic, and by not voting they are not doing their part."