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NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY NUMBERS AND OBSERVATIONS FROM A
HARRIS-WALZ YOUTH ORGANIZING CALL  
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Rachel Janfaza
September 19, 2024
The Up and Up
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_ There are 41 million eligible Gen Z voters in 2024. 45% of those
Gen Zers are youth of color. 30% have parents born outside US. Many
young people are recognizing the power of their vote to influence the
future. _

Breakdown of the youth electorate in 2024 via Center for Information
& Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts (CIRCLE), The Up
and Up

 

THE CONTEXT IN WHICH WE EXIST

If you’re reading this newsletter, you likely already understand the
power and sheer size of the youth voting bloc. But yesterday
the CENTER FOR INFORMATION & RESEARCH ON CIVIC LEARNING AND
ENGAGEMENT AT TUFTS (CIRCLE) [[link removed]] held a 2024
media briefing call, re-emphasizing the facts. Here are a few
top-lines to know about this demographic.

This November:

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41 million Gen Zers are eligible to vote

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45% of those Gen Zers are youth of color

Looking at all eligible young voters under 30:

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40% have no college experience

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21% identify at LGBTQ

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30% have parents born outside US

REGISTERING THOSE VOTERS

Tuesday was National Voter Registration Day, and according to key
voter registration organizations, the number of new voter
registrations they saw was quite high.

To start, VOTE.ORG [[link removed]] had it’s best-ever NVRD
numbers with over 150,000 new registrations.

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The organization says 81% of new registrations were from voters under
35, and 11% of those new registrations were from people who are
18-years-old.

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The organization registered more 18-year-olds than any other age
group.

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The number of 18-year-olds who registered on NVRD this year was 53%
higher than in 2020.

HEADCOUNT [[link removed]], which works mainly with
celebrities and artists to bridge civics and pop culture, received
over 23,000 digital registrations on NVRD, the organization tells me.

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Prior to NVRD - from 11/8/22 to 9/16/24 -- the organization had
registered 244,584 total. I’m told that as of today, the
organization has reached 250,000 registrations for this cycle.

And youth voter engagement organization NEXTGEN AMERICA
[[link removed]] has registered 37, 379 voters since the
school year started.

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That's 50% more voter registrations than the August-mid September
timeline in 2020.

I’m often asked about pop-culture this election cycle and whether or
not celebrities, artists, and influencers could really mobilize young
voters. From my point of view, these public figures (and more niche
influencers/content creators, too) can certainly drum up excitement
about voting and help get young people to the ballot box, but they
likely won’t sway who someone will vote for.

That said, given HeadCount’s focus on the nexus of civics and
pop-culture, I asked the organization’s executive director LUCILLE
WENEGIEME for her take. She said the organization is “witnessing an
unprecedented level of engagement among young voters.”

Here’s more of what she had to say (edited lightly for brevity):

WHAT STANDS OUT THIS ELECTION CYCLE WHEN IT COMES TO EXCITEMENT FROM
YOUNG VOTERS AND AN EAGERNESS TO REGISTER TO VOTE?

LW: “The issues at stake—climate change, social justice, and
economic opportunity—are deeply resonating with them. Many young
people are recognizing the power of their vote to influence the
future, and there’s a palpable excitement to be part of that change.
Initiatives like our voter registration drives are seeing more
participation than ever, showing that young people are not just ready
to register, but eager to make their voices heard.”

“One difference this year from previous cycles is the obvious
pent-up enthusiasm among young people. We’re seeing an enormous
surge of registrations and engagement arrive later than it has in
previous cycles, where there’s been more of a steady incline as we
get closer to the election.” 

HOW, IF AT ALL, DO YOU THINK POP CULTURE IS PLAYING INTO THAT? WHAT IS
THE ROLE OF CELEBRITIES OR ARTISTS IN HELPING TO DRIVE THAT ENERGY?  

LW: “Pop culture plays a crucial role in mobilizing young voters.
Being civically engaged can sometimes feel like ‘eating your
vegetables’ to young people who are politically disengaged. Parents
and elders are consistently preaching its importance. But when ‘it
girls’ or influencers also promote the importance of voting and
civic engagement to their young audiences, it cuts through that
perception. Especially with the growth of social media celebrities,
artists and influencers have these huge platforms and can reach
audiences in so many ways. When people with their level of influence
advocate for voting, it normalizes the conversation and makes civic
engagement feel accessible and urgent — even cool.”

“On National Voter Registration Day alone, we had over 100
celebrities post stories and saw an increase in the number of
registrations driven from these digital campaigns. Their impact is
substantial and creates a ripple effect that inspires more young
people to get involved.”

ANY SPECIFIC EVENTS OR INITIATIVES HEADCOUNT HAS BETWEEN NOW AND
ELECTION DAY?

LW: “In addition to all of our work in the field at concerts and
festivals, we’re really excited about our ‘Good to Vote’
campaigns, which offer fans once in a lifetime experiences and prizes
with a wide variety of artists, brands and celebrities. Fans can enter
to win by simply checking their voter registration status.”

The campaigns Wenegieme cited include: “2 VIP tickets to
see Sabrina Carpenter
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her San Francisco show,” “Broadway Trip of A Lifetime
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includes airfare, hotel and the 2 tickets to 4 Broadway shows of your
choice,” “A VIP, all expenses paid trip to attend Austin City
Limits with influencer Brittany Broski
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and “a chance to win Jeans for Life
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American Eagle.”

A FEW OBSERVATIONS

I’ve spoken with many first time voters this week for an upcoming
story I’m working on. It continues to strike me how many tell me
that their introduction to politics was in middle school, after the
Parkland school shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
that left 17 students and faculty dead. That's what opened their eyes
to our country's political system. Their politics have been shaped as
a result.

 
Screenshot from Harris-Walz national youth organizing call on 9/18.
This isn’t lost on Vice President KAMALA HARRIS, who joined a
Harris-Walz national youth organizing call on Wednesday as part of the
campaign’s youth vote week of action
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which I’m told there will be a total of 160 youth focused events
across the country). As part of her remarks, Harris told those on the
call she understands this generation’s perspective on issues like
gun violence, climate change, and reproductive rights.

“When I meet with young leaders across our country, it is clear to
me that your generation, with your unique lived experiences,
understands what is at stake for your future and for the future of our
country,” Harris said.

The vice president also emphasized the trademark sense of urgency with
which many in Gen Z (on all sides of the spectrum) describe their view
of politics.

"You are impatient in every incredible, good way. You're not waiting
for someone else to step up and lead. You are saying you're gonna step
up and get it done,” she said.

Harris often says she loves Gen Z
[[link removed]]. Her line about young
people’s impatience in particular showed me she has spent time
listening to their concerns and understands the way their brains
operate, especially when it comes to politics.

Here are a few of my other takeaways from the call, and from this
week’s Harris-Walz youth events in general:

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The fact that Harris joined and spoke on the call (even if for just a
few minutes) signals the campaign is taking this bloc seriously. She
referenced conversations with young people including on Tuesday in
Philadelphia [[link removed]].

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The campaign is clearly uplifting and utilizing younger surrogates
like Tennessee state Rep. JUSTIN PEARSON, who has become a leader
young Dems (and young people in general) can look up to. He's been
outspoken on issues like gun violence and democracy.

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They are capitalizing on star power to reach young people, like
actress CHLOE GRACE MORETZ (who mentioned the economy and Harris'
plans for the middle class as an issue to talk to friends and peers
about).

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At the end of her remarks, Harris emphasized a desire for community
building around her campaign. "Let's also be intentional on building
community. Let's be intentional on building coalitions,” she said.
This could be a powerful message to a group of young organizers.

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The call was led by EVE LEVENSON, who's 24 and the the campaign's
national youth engagement director. Levenson’s been in the youth
organizing space since she was a teen and is key to the campaign’s
youth vote strategy. The fact that they have a 24-year-old at the
forefront of this work is important, and strategic.

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While Harris herself (and Moretz) mentioned issues they know are at
stake for young people, she did not go into detail about her concrete
plans or solutions to tackle them. As mentioned last week
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I’m hearing from young people (including both organizers who are
gung-ho for Harris and undecided voters) that they want to hear more
details from Harris. In the coming weeks, I wonder how and if she will
start to scratch that itch for young people.

ON THE SECOND APPARENT ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF FORMER PRESIDENT
DONALD TRUMP…

Sunday marked the second apparent attempted assassination of Former
President DONALD TRUMP — the second in two months. I noticed there
had been much less talk about it this time than the last and asked for
young people’s thoughts as to why that was. One friend told me they
recognized how awful the political violence is, but that they almost
felt “numb” to news like this. They mentioned rising political
violence around the world
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Here’s some more of what the young voters I heard from had to say:

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“More attention draws attention to the rhetoric. Vitriol is the fuel
this cycle.”

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“Because the secret service did their job.”

Thank you for reading The Up and Up! Please feel free to share it.
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_[RACHEL JANFAZA [[link removed]] is a journalist
covering young Americans and our politics and a consultant focused on
youth civic engagement.​_

_"Fixated on the intersection of politics, journalism, and education,
I’m currently working on a few different initiatives geared at
bringing more young Americans into the civic and political fold."_

_Most recently, I started 'The Up and Up
[[link removed]],' a newsletter focused on Gen Z’s
political zeitgeist: how young Americans are organizing, mobilizing
and participating in civic life and politics – or, how and why
they’re not. I also freelance, with bylines in the New York Times
[[link removed]], Vogue
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Magazine
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Fair
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Vogue [[link removed]],
[[link removed]] Glamour
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[[link removed]], Cosmopolitan
[[link removed]] and Bustle
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_Previously, I was an associate writer on the CNN Politics team
covering young voters, campaigns and breaking news. As the first
writer for CNN Politics dedicated to the youth beat, I wrote about the
first members of Gen Z to launch campaigns for Congress, how TikTok
became a political battleground and the youth mental health crisis
following the Covid-19 pandemic.]_

* youth vote
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* voter registration
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* Gen Z voters
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* National Voter Registration Day
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* gen z
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* Gen Zers
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* Youth of Color
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* first time voters
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* children of immigrants
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* 2024 Elections
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* Kamala Harris
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* Climate Change
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* social justice
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* Economic Opportunity
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* gun violence
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* democracy
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