EAST VILLAGE. Katie Lee, a 31-year-old graphic designer, had never been very engaged in politics until this presidential race.

The Park Slope resident immersed herself in candidates’ policies and YouTube debates. She scheduled debates among friends, sent out mass e-mails with voter registration info and, after much deliberation, decided to vote for Barack Obama.

But after watching the primary results on Tuesday at an East Village bar, Lee felt dejected. Her next stop was to get a cupcake.

“I suppose I should feel energized that Obama is still a serious contender, but after California went to [Hillary] Clinton, I feel anxious — all my energy went into Super Tuesday expecting something more definitive,” said Lee. “I still feel engaged in politics, but the emotional tenor has shifted — from enjoying a crush to fretting about whether or not he’s going to call back.”

Many young and disaffected voters have been drawn to Obama’s campaign and his talk of change. Some organizers who are trying to encourage participation among this group are worried their excitement might wane as the race wears on.

“I get a sense the excitement is starting to get stretched a little bit,” said David Burstein, a 19-year-old Haverford College student who co-produced the documentary “18 in ’08.” But if the competition between Clinton and Obama remains heated until Pennsylvania’s primary in April, “I think it’s a good thing for the political process.”

The interest of young people who “are so quick to digest information and make decisions” may be “easily thwarted by not getting the results they want,” said Jason Page, a coordinator for Generation Engage, a nonpartisan group that’s focused on getting young people involved. Metro is Generation Engage’s media partner.

“It’s not like going to a community board meeting or hearing elected officials talking over their heads or a faith-based event where you have to commit to an ideology before you step inside,” Page explained. “Young people want to participate, but they’re not usually asked to.”

At the polls

According to MTV, New York’s under 30 crowd preferred Obama, giving him 56 percent of their votes over Clinton’s 43 percent.