The youth vote has been a historically underperforming demographic for many years; yet, this midterm election might be the year that millennials and Gen Z buck typical voting patterns.
For the first time, millennials are the largest bloc of eligible voters. Additionally, surveys show a surge in youth enthusiasm for civic engagement.
Harvard’s most recent IOP Youth Poll found that 40 percent of 18-to-29-year-olds are likely to vote on Nov. 6. Similarly, CIRCLE recently reported that 34 percent of young people, ages 18 to 24, are “extremely likely” to vote in the midterms.
Compare these stats to the 2014 midterms, where only 17.1 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds voted, and there’s certainly reason to suspect youth engagement will be abnormally high.
The upcoming midterm takes place in the wake of the Parkland shooting and corresponding March for Our Lives movement, as well as a year where the GOP is boasting a widely successful campus program. Also notable, many driving factors this election cycle are linked to cultural issues that originated on campus — such as socialism, political correctness, global citizenship, and the #MeToo movement.
With politics fully permeating culture and garnering the attention of the youth demographic like never before, one can only expect a surge in young voters on Nov. 6.
If they don’t show up at the polls, it’ll be a sign of all talk and no action.
