This year, 41 million members of Gen Z were eligible to vote. Let’s analyze how they influenced the election, what key issues brought them to the polls, how each candidate appealed to young voters, and more.
This article is live and will continue updating as more information becomes available.
In this article, we’ll cover:
- The Numbers
- Key Issues & Driving Factors This Election
- How Each Candidate Embraced Young Voters
- Gen Z’s Visions for the Future
The Numbers
In recent years, Gen Z has become recognized as a prominent civic force, leading social movements and voting at higher rates than previous generations. With 8.3 million newly eligible voters this year – making up one-fifth of the electorate – Gen Z was rightfully expected to play an important role in the 2024 presidential election.
For comparison, the 2022 midterm election saw the second-highest youth voter turnout in almost three decades, with 27% of those ages 18-29 casting a ballot. The youth voter turnout this year, similarly, did not disappoint. Young voters showed up in droves, especially on college campuses, waiting hours in line to make sure their voices were heard.
According to the exit polls of both The Washington Post and NBC, those ages 18-29 accounted for around 14% of voters.
Those exit polls can also give us an idea of how young voters showed up for each candidate. As of now, the data shows that 63% of women ages 18-29 voted for Kamala Harris, while 36% voted for Donald Trump. In a closer race, 49% of men ages 18-29 voted for Harris, while 47% voted for Trump. While 54% of young voters supported Harris and 43% supported Trump.
According to The Washington Post, young voters played an influential role in several key states as well. In Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin, those ages 18-29 made up an average of 13.5% of voters.
With those percentages, and based on the total number of popular votes currently accounted for – 152,781,730 – that means Gen Z cast around 21,389,442 votes.
Key Issues & Driving Factors This Election
While known for their powerful voices, Gen Z members’ track records of political activism were not their only motivators. This year, multiple issues of concern for young people were on the ballot, perhaps another factor that drove them to the polls.
Among key issues for Gen Z voters were climate change, social justice, economic opportunities, healthcare access, student debt relief, and individual rights and freedoms. Generally speaking, young voters flocked to the ballot box to vote for progressive policies regarding:
- Immediate action to combat climate change
- Student loan forgiveness and economic mobility
- Reproductive health rights
- Quality education for all
- Safety and action to combat gun violence
- Equity and equality to reflect their diverse backgrounds
Though not quite the same, Gen Z’s concerns were still reflective of the larger issues at hand in this election important to voters of all ages. Overall, the top five key issues voters were concerned about were foreign policy, abortion, the economy, immigration, and the state of democracy. Voters also considered the characteristics of both candidates. Important to many was the candidate’s ability to lead, facilitate change, care for the people, and use good judgment.
One last factor that most likely motivated younger voters was not a policy at all but something much larger. Over the past several years, growing discontent with the political system as a whole has developed, especially within Gen Z. Ready to implement huge changes, young voters viewed this election as their chance.
How Each Candidate Embraced Young Voters
As the exit polls show, Gen Z voters were split fairly evenly when it came to voting for either Harris or Trump. Although Harris was thought to have secured the majority of young voters, data shows us that both candidates appealed to young people for different reasons.
Harris appealed to young voters early on by embracing social media tactics, such as rebranding Kamala HQ to coincide with the “Brat summer” trend. Besides supporting policies favored by many young voters, Harris also appealed to young people with her overall mission statements. Many Gen Z members were inspired by her promise to “turn the page” and her slogan, “We’re not going back.”
According to The Washington Post, young voters supported Harris over Trump by 11 percentage points. But, despite overwhelming support, Gen Z appears to have slipped through her fingers. One notable reason young people may have lent their vote to Trump instead was Harris’ stance on Israel.
While the majority of Gen Z voted for Harris, Trump still managed to garner the support of many young voters, particularly white men. Trump’s brand of “tough-guy masculinity” played a crucial role in his appeal to young men since, over the last several years, young men have felt left behind by changing gender roles. Also contributing was Trump’s association with influential figures popular among young men, such as Elon Musk, Logan Paul, and Andrew Tate.
Besides those reasons, Trump’s economic policies were also highly favored by young men. Additionally, an overall shift in young males increasingly trending towards the Republican party has been recently observed.
This year’s election proved what we already knew: Gen Z is an incredibly diverse group with various interests and concerns. While both candidates appealed to young voters, they appealed to them for vastly different reasons. That is why the race between Harris and Trump was such a close one among Gen Z.
Gen Z’s Visions for the Future
For obvious reasons, Gen Z has reported mixed reactions to the results of the election. To many who lean to the right, Trump’s win was a historic comeback. To others who voted for Harris, Trump’s win was extremely disappointing and concerning. Especially let down were young women, who yet again watched a female president slip from their grasp.
Despite the disappointment, Harris and President Biden have made sure to leave young people with a positive message. In Harris’ concession speech, she addressed young voters by saying:
“To the young people who are watching … it is okay to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it’s going to be okay. On the campaign, I would often say ‘when we fight we win.’ But here’s the thing; sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we wont win. The important thing is don’t ever give up. Don’t ever stop trying to make the world a better place. You have power.”
Vice President Kamala Harris
Similarly, President Biden expressed the importance of not giving up in a recent address to the nation.
For fans of Trump, exciting things lie ahead in the next four years. Trump has made promises to make huge changes in his first 100 days in office. As for the future beyond 2028, who knows what lies ahead? Still advocating for improvements to our political system as a whole, Gen Z is sure to facilitate major changes in the future. My prediction: Young people may eventually push for a three-party system.
