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Many were expecting a red wave to crash on Tuesday, Nov. 8—instead, an earthquake of young voters shook up the political world.
The data is still coming in nationally, but from what we know, Gen Z-ers sustained their record-breaking 2018 turnout during the 2022 midterm elections, opting for Democratic House candidates by 25 points and limiting Republican gains. Voters under the age of 29 broke for Democrats and helped many win in battleground states. In the high-stakes Pennsylvania Senate race, which Democrats flipped by a three-point margin, Gen Z-ers supported John Fetterman by a 46-point margin and increased their share of the electorate from 2018. This all goes to show one central point: When young people’s rights are on the ballot and championed by the candidate, they show up.
Many political operatives base their decisions on polls with a strict definition of likely voters, leaving young people vastly underrepresented. They assumed that America’s youngest voters wouldn’t show up in this midterm election.
Read More: These 2022 Candidates Made History With Their Election Wins
I disagreed. As Senior Researcher for HIT Strategies, a public opinion research firm focused on young voters and people of color, I’ve conducted dozens of focus groups and several polls with Gen Z-ers. I saw an energy among Gen Z-ers. That fire was sparked by the direct threats to their rights like abortion access, and it was sustained by candidates who spoke Gen Z-ers’ language on social media.
The youngest voting generation is strongly pro-choice and can be mobilized by threats to reproductive healthcare. Our September poll of Gen Z voters of color in battleground states found that 87% supported abortion rights. And in our national poll with URGE following the leak of the Dobbs v. Jackson decision in May, 65% of Gen Z voters reported…
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Source : time
