Young people between 18-29 years of age (part of the Millennial generation) cast more ballots in 2008 than in any other previous election in United States history.

But there is a continual struggle for credibility on the national political stage, according to a panel at A Better Deal conference—an event hosted by the nonpartisan policy group Demos and held in Washington D.C. today.

“I don't think just because we turned out in record numbers that conventional wisdom just switched,” said Heather Smith, with Rock The Vote, an advocacy organization that works to add young people to voter rolls. “We're the only age demographic that has to constantly prove ourselves. Well, young people are trying to make ends meet too.”

Even with debilitating economic factors, the youth demographic will again have to prove its clout in the upcoming mid-term elections in 2010.

“My concern right now is that the mid-term elections are coming up and a lot of people are saying that young people aren't going to go out and vote,” said Maria Teresa-Kumar, with Voto Latino. “Our work next is to make sure that's not the case.”

Voto Latino specifically worked on registering new Latino voters in the last election, and Teresa-Kumar noted that organizers will have to focus on youths who have not attended college.

“You have folks that were incredibility active on college campuses, and you move next door and they weren't,” said Teresa-Kumar. “This generation is the most diverse generation in our history. Not everybody is going to college.”

The conference is being sponsored by a number of nonpartisan policy groups, including Campus Progress.