GAINESVILLE - Now that both candidates for president have addressed their respective conventions, residents of North Central Florida are ready to make their choice.

Especially the members of one key voting block: students.

A considerably smaller number of students in Gainesville watched President Obama's speech compared to just four years ago; an election year when then-Senator Obama carried over half of the youth vote.

Many analysts attribute this drop in enthusiasm to the current state of the economy, in which many younger voters may feel disillusioned due to high unemployment.

According to the latest numbers released by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, nearly 16 percent of young voters are out of work.

That's double the national average of 8.1 percent.

Meanwhile, Republican candidate Mitt Romney's share of young voters has increased since he selected Rep. Paul Ryan to be his running mate.

The latest poll shows his support among 18 to 29 year olds standing at 40 percent.

In an effort to regain the support he had four years ago, President Obama is planning to campaign in Florida this weekend, making stops along the crucial I-4 corridor between Tampa and the Space Coast.