On November 5, approximately 8 million new American voters will have the opportunity to vote in the presidential election. And if the previous election showdown is any indication, many will – Gen-Z voter turnout in 2022 was higher than Gen Xers and Millennials when they were young voters.
According to pollsters, these active Gen-Z voters will play a decisive role in who gets the keys to the Oval Office.
“Part of campaigning is about making young voters feel like their vote matters from the day they turn 18,” says Noah Rogoff, of Syracuse University. “This is an inherent issue of the electoral system … If you invest in new voters now, you will build your voter base for the foreseeable future.”
The issues that concern young people
Several issues concern younger voters more than the rest of the electorate. In a survey conducted by Tufts College’s Center for Information & Research on Education and Civic Engagement after the 2022 election, representatives of Gen-Z were asked to rank their top three priorities.
39% ranked inflation and gas prices as a top concern, 30% abortion, 26% jobs that pay a living wage and 23% climate change. Gen-Z voters were slightly more likely than Millennials to say gun violence and racism were among their top three issues.
Many of these issues will remain a top priority for Gen-Z voters in 2024. With Roe v Wade overturned by the US Supreme Court in 2022, many believe the fight for bodily autonomy has intensified. A national poll recently released by the Harvard Kennedy School found that more young voters (ages 18-29) trust Harris on the abortion issue (+31 points).
Another important issue for younger voters is the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine. The longstanding US-Israel alliance is more criticized than ever and is already affecting the views of Gen-Z voters. “We should be doing more to help the people of Palestine. I know the US supports the state of Israel, but we can do more on a humanitarian level,” Robinson said.
But not all young voters who identify as liberals feel that Harris is the answer to American involvement in the Middle East.
“We’re seeing some younger, progressive liberals who want the US to change its policy on Israel, and they’re disappointed that Harris is basically in the exact same spot as Biden,” said Margaret Talef, a former White House correspondent for Bloomberg. which partnered with Syracuse University to create an interactive student center for nonpartisan research based in Washington.
The impact of social media on youth voting decisions
Gen-Z are also slightly more likely than older generations to be informed by Twitter, TikTok and Instagram rather than Facebook, podcasts and print media.
“People use social media to consume news,” Talef said, and it’s clear that younger Americans are turning to social media for news more than older Americans, especially Instagram and TikTok. But Talef says that replacing credible news outlets with unverified sources is jeopardizing the informed decision-making of young Americans.
“Social media is free and easily accessible to all people but the danger is that there are far fewer safeguards, they are completely uncontrolled,” Talef added.
When it comes to the presidential election, both candidates are trying to reach young people through these social media, especially TikTok, with videos explaining their positions, but the impact these videos have is difficult to measure.
So will these new voters decide the election? A poll conducted by the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics found that 64% of young voters say they will vote for Kamala Harris, compared to 32% for former President Donald Trump. Whether this will tip the scales in favor of the Democratic candidate will be seen in practice.
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