Outside the Knitting Factory nightclub, a group of young music fans gathered in an uneven circle to smoke between sets at "Party for Progress," an event to raise voter awareness.

The political point, however, was lost to Blanca Guzman, 24, of Glendale.

"I don't like to vote," she said between drags. "I don't want to get called for jury duty."

Guzman's views fit the conventional wisdom that young voters are politically apathetic. But then there's keyboardist and bass player Alex Kweskin, 22, of the San Clemente-based band "The Shys." Kweskin says he pores over voter guides to inform his political decisions.

"I sit down and read that pamphlet for hours," he said. He's also donated money to end the violence in the Darfur region of Sudan and to help Hurricane Katrina victims.

There seem to be two visions of young America -- one apathetic and uninterested, one more politically active than any generation before. As groups left, right and neutral are trying to awaken young citizens, what's the truth?

Here's a look at some common myths about young voters.

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MYTH No. 1: YOUNG PEOPLE DON'T VOTE

TRUE: Young voters haven't exactly flocked to the polls since 18- to 20-year-olds became eligible to vote in 1972. Only 52 percent of voters ages 18-24 voted in 1972 and the numbers have yet to reach that high point again. For presidential elections, young voters bottomed out at 32 percent turnout in 1996, compared to about 60 percent of voters 25 and older.

BUT... In the 2004 presidential election, about 47 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds cast a ballot, an increase of 11 percent from 2000, according U.S. Census Bureau data. No other age group increased its turnout by more than 5 percentage points.

VERDICT: The upcoming midterm election may help determine the validity of this myth. Census Bureau data showed that about 18 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds voted in the 2002 midterm election -- the most underrepresented demographic at the polls.

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MYTH No. 2: GEN Y IS BETTER THAN GEN X

TRUE: Tina Post, a spokeswoman for the nonpartisan New Voters Project, said the current generation of young voters — "Gen Y" — is more politically engaged than their "Gen X" predecessors.

"A lot of evidence points to the differences," she said. "Everything from increased volunteerism to electoral participation."

A survey released this month by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE) found that 36 percent of citizens between 20 and 25 have volunteered within the last year and 30 percent have boycotted a product as a form of political protest.

BUT... Craig Brians, a political science professor at Virginia Tech, said he doubts if there is much difference between the generations. The data may be skewed because high schools and colleges now have minimum community service requirements, Brians said: "Is that volunteering?"

VERDICT: Like the hippies of the 60s, time will tell if Gen Y's activism will fade.

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MYTH No. 3: IF YOU ASK, YOUNG PEOPLE WILL VOTE

TRUE: A campaign that targeted young voters in last year's gubernatorial election in Virginia helped young voters increase participation by 15 percent, Post said. "If someone reaches out to them and tries to engage them in the political process they will participate," she said.

BUT... Brians expects the typical low voter turnout for the midterm election for all demographics, including young voters. And he says nonpartisan efforts such as the New Voters Project are hampered because they don't advocate for a specific candidate or cause.

"Everything in politics is driven by a choice and the reason people vote is to make a choice," he said. "If they could combine registration with a political appeal, it would give young voters a reason to vote. The nonpartisan effort to appeal to new voters doesn't make any sense."

VERDICT: We'll find out in a couple of weeks.

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Paul Chavez is an asap reporter based in Los Angeles.

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