Reality Check: Young Voters

As the 2024 elections are getting closer and closer, according to the Center for Information & Research On Civic Learning And Engagement (CIRCLE), there will be 8.3 million new eligible voters (ages 18-19) with Gen Z making up 40.8 million of voters for the upcoming 2024 elections. However, many of these young voters are worried about the current political climate and what this election could mean for the future.

With recent anti-LGBTQ laws passed in numerous states around the country, Senior Arissa Mangewala is mainly concerned about their safety: “ I [want to make sure that] that the country will be safe for like myself and my friends to live in, especially as a queer person” They also cite other concerns such as the anti-book laws and access to healthcare. Senior Sasha Lovell wants more done on the environment as she says, “I think young people care about creating a world where people are supported economically and [choosing] candidates support bold climate action.”

Although there was a record turnout of young voters in the 2020 elections, a recent Harvard poll noted that young Americans who used to be “definitely” participating dropped from 57% – to 49% partly due to the dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. 

Lovell is particularly noticing discontent among her voting-eligible peers as she states, “I feel like a lot of my peers seem not very hopeful about politics. It seems like a time when people aren’t hopeful about what politicians can do and [there is] a sort of dissatisfaction with our current leaders without any alternatives”. 

Mangewala also highlights their dissatisfaction towards the two frontrunners: “I wish we didn’t have to choose between the lesser of two evils. I wish we could actually have a good candidate.”

The younger generation has experienced a different political climate with the rise of social media. Mangewala believes that social media can be a unifying force, saying, “My vote will only really make a change if I’m united with other young people, which I think is unique because of social media.”

However, social media creates more visibility to the problems in the US and around the world which can create a sense of urgency causing more stress. “[It is like] we have no choice but to watch as the world seems to be falling apart. And we might as well do something about it, you know,” Mangewala says. 

Lovell hopes that younger voters will continue to come out for the following elections and believes that their participation will be beneficial in the future. She says, “If young people hold our elected officials accountable and know more about them, then I think that people will be more motivated to vote and create bigger changes.”