Don't Underestimate the Power of Young Voters

It happens every four years, as reliable as leap year or the summer Olympics. We start to gear up for a presidential election, and the media begins to denigrate young voters. It's such a persistent story that the political media doesn't even feel the need to cite sources; they just say it as a given. Of course, if they looked at the data, they would know this is a myth.

Young people are not apathetic. Young people do turn out to the polls. Young people today vote at the same level or higher than other generations did at the same age.

To prove my point, I must turn to the excellent work of CIRCLE, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, a part of Tufts University. CIRCLE has been tracking youth voting since 2001 and uses historical data to put youth engagement in the proper context.

Before we get into busting myths, I'll start with a concession that young voters do turn out in lower numbers, on average, than older voters. However, there are several reasons for this. First, there are uneven educational experiences in civics on why voting matters, with many not receiving information or encouragement on voting. Second, as many young voters have never voted before, there are logistical hurdles to voting for the first time — which vary a lot by state — to get registered and find a polling place (and this has to be repeated when you move, as young people are more likely to do). And lastly, young people have complicated lives, often balancing school, work, and family obligations. They are more likely to have inconsistent access to transportation and be working in hourly positions without paid time off.

Now, here is the important part: young people are not getting more apathetic. They are turning out at the same level, if not more than other generations did at the same age. In the last presidential election, young voters turned out at one of the highest levels since the voting age was lowered to 18. In the 2022 midterms, Gen Z turned out at a higher rate than Millennials, Generation X, or Baby Boomers did in the first midterm election where they were eligible. CIRCLE compares each generation at similar ages and found that for Millennials, Generation X, and Baby Boomers, each cohort tends to turn out at similar levels as the others did at the same age.

So why does this matter? While this myth continues, it may lead certain campaigns to discount the importance of the young vote. We need candidates — and more importantly, those who are actually elected — to care about what young people need and work to make it happen. And importantly, today's young voters are the most diverse in American history and the most diverse group in our electorate. As the League of Women Voters puts it: "It's estimated that by 2025, 50% of 14 to 24 year olds will be people of color; this is a striking 11-point increase compared to two decades prior."

Younger voters are also more likely to identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. Per 2021 Gallup data, 20.8% of Gen Z adults and 10.5% of Millennials identified as a sexual and/or gender minority, compared to 4.2% of Gen Xers and 2.6% of Baby Boomers.

We know politicians are wary of cutting Social Security or Medicare in case it brings about the wrath of older voters. Well, I think politicians could use a little healthy fear of young voters, as well. If young voters matter, then the priorities of young voters will matter too.

If you want to be a part of bringing up the voting rates for young people even higher, you can help make sure everyone in your network knows about the relevant voter registration dates. Of the young voters who missed the registration deadlines in 2022, lack of time or missing the date of the deadline were among the commonly cited reasons for failing to register. And importantly, If you are an employer, make sure you offer paid time off to vote even if you aren't required to by law — and ensure employees know it's available. And don't forget to share voting resources and deadlines with your employees.

Anyone can also advocate for better voting laws to make it easier for voters of all ages to cast their ballots. States with policies like automatic voter registration, early voting, universal mail-in voting, and same-day voter registration had higher turnout in the last presidential election.

We can all play a role in making our democracy stronger by encouraging everyone who is eligible to register and turn out to vote.

One last thing: Election Day is November 5. Are you registered to vote?