Young voters head to the polls
By Caroline Haviland
With less than a month until the 2024 presidential election, voters across the country are sending their mail-in ballots and preparing for the results that will determine the nation’s trajectory for the next four years. Following recent events, the public has realized the importance and value of utilizing their democratic power to elect the next president.
One demographic of voters that stands out this year is young people, who traditionally are less likely to vote. In recent elections they have been more likely to make their voice heard.
CIRCLE, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, at Tufts University released a study based on the 2022 midterm election results demonstrating the national youth voter turnout ages 18-29, which has reached 23%, the second highest percentage in over a decade, following 2018 with 28%.
Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics, suggested this increase in youth participation could correlate with the Trump administration.
“In other years, I would absolutely say that young people aren’t voting. I would say that the situation has gotten dramatically better in the Trump era,” said Rasmussen. “Young voter participation went up during [Trump’s] midterm in 2018.
The COVID election in 2020 made it much easier to vote with mail-in ballots. By 2022, there was a bit of a drop, but I think by this point, younger people are starting to form a voting habit.”
Rasmussen added that the increase during this administration did not spark an “anti-Trump” wave but rather crystalized the value of voting for both Trump and non-Trump supporters alike.
Michael Brogan, an associate professor of political science, pointed out the correlation between younger voters and social media, saying the demographic is more informed than those in the generations before them.
“I think they’re more informed consumers of political information. Growing up within social media, you guys can tell propaganda from the truth,” said Brogan. “I would say younger voters are far more dialed in on the candidates and on the issues than what you would normally expect.”
The Tufts study reported the nation’s top youth turnout states exceeded 30% of participation, including Michigan, Minnesota, Maine, Oregon and Colorado. Most of these states include policies that allow same-day registration, making it convenient for younger people to register and vote. New Jersey, one of the states that does not have these policies, only reached 20%.
Rasmussen added onto this fact, saying it is vital that New Jersey people should watch for the Oct. 15 registration deadline and utilize the mail-in ballot option. Early voting in New Jersey takes place from Oct. 26 to Nov. 3, and in-person voting will be held on Nov. 5. To register to vote, go to usa.gov/register-to-vote.
“People need to be intentional and get out there to vote. We need to make sure that the government is accountable to us. If we go out and vote, that’s our power,” said Rasmussen. “If we don’t exercise our power, then we can’t possibly hope that the government is going to serve us.”
