Post millennial age range11/8/2023 Given Gen Z’s concern and focus on myriad issues affecting their peers and communities, that may not suggest disinterest, but a different generational lens that is less focused on personal identity and more focused on the tangible impact youth can have. Our survey also found that Gen Zers (60%) were less likely than Millennials (67%) to say that their political beliefs are somewhat or very important to their personal identity. Gen Zers are especially aware that their vote is a tool for impact: after “it’s my responsibility,” wanting to shape the outcome was their most cited reason for casting a ballot in 2022. In fact, this proved to be one of the largest differences between the two generations: among youth who didn’t vote, 40% of Millennials and 28% of Gen Z said they didn’t think it mattered.īoth young Millennials and Gen Zers believe in the importance of elections and in their own power: they report, at similar rates, that they think voting is a way to have a say about the country’s future, and that young people have the ability to effect change. Notably, despite some stereotypes about youth apathy, Gen Zers in our survey who didn’t vote were actually less likely to say that it was because it wasn’t important to them or they did not think their vote mattered. Gen Z Cares About Elections, Wants to Have an Impact That suggests the youngest potential voters may not have been getting reminders, information about early voting options, or other support to overcome barriers to electoral participation. Similarly, among youth who didn’t cast a ballot-whether or not they were registered-42% of Gen Z and 30% of Millennials said they forgot or were too busy. That was slightly higher than the 10% of Millennials in our sample who cited either of those two issues. Our data on youth who did not participate in the 2022 midterms reflect some of those challenges.Īmong young people who said they did not register to vote, 16% of Gen Zers said it was either because they did not know how or had trouble with their application. When young people are relatively new to elections they need more information and support unfortunately they are often less likely to get it from campaigns and organizations that focus their outreach on past or likely voters. Gen Zers Less Likely to Know How to Register, Have Time to Voteįor the majority of Gen Z, this may have been the first or second national election in which they were eligible to vote for most it was their first midterm cycle. Family and school can be key sources of political information for Gen Z, as well as online media and social networks like YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok.Millennials are more likely to prioritize economic concerns like inflation and housing costs Gen Z is more focused than Millennials on racism and gun violence.Among youth who did not cast a ballot in 2022, Gen Zers were more likely than Millennials to say they didn’t have time, and less likely to say they thought it didn’t matter.Among Gen Z respondents in our poll who didn’t register to vote, about 1 in 7 said they didn’t know how or had trouble with the application.(Throughout this analysis, we use Gen Z to refer only to youth ages 18-25 in our sample, and Millennial to refer to youth ages 26-29 in our sample.) We can also shine a light on some of the challenges to engaging the youngest eligible voters, who are new to elections and are often neglected by organizations and campaigns. Using CIRCLE’s post-election youth survey, we can hone in on some of the views and experiences of the oldest members of Gen Z, including some differences between them and the youngest Millennials. While divisions by generations can be partially arbitrary groupings-and there are important differences among members of the same generation-they provide opportunities to consider the unique environments in which youth of different ages, at different times, become active in democracy.įor Gen Z, those political, social, and economic conditions have included a global pandemic, an epidemic of school shootings, and major political shifts. Millennials, now ages 26-41, make up the remainder of the 18-29 year old cohort and they made up 26% of the electorate in 2022. In just a few years, Gen Z will make up all of that age group. The 2022 midterms were the first national election in which Gen Z made up the majority of the ages 18-29 electorate-the age group CIRCLE and others define as “young voters”-and 9% of all voters. Contributors: Alberto Medina, Sara Suzuki
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