Early estimates put the overall 2024 youth voter turnout around 42%, on par with 2016 with much higher turnout in battleground states estimated at 50%. That means over 20 million young people either could not vote or believed the false narrative that their voice didn’t matter.
Young people broke voter turnout records in 2018, 2020 and 2022. In response, many states made it harder for them to vote. Gen Z is the most diverse generation in American history and will soon become the last white-majority generation for the foreseeable future. Yet, as the political power of this diverse electorate grows, so too have efforts to establish white-minority rule, especially in states experiencing rapid demographic shifts. We must fight to ensure that our democracy reflects the will of all its people.
It is unacceptable that students must wait six hours to vote. We have the technology to send robots to Mars; voting should not consume the majority of a weekday for young people. Young voters deserve better. Moreover, it is unacceptable to expect 18-year-olds to adopt antiquated practices like standardizing their signature to ensure their votes count. This is not democracy; it is political gamesmanship. We must take steps toward a modern democracy. Elections must be adequately funded. And every voter deserves an equal opportunity to vote, no matter their zip code.
We know young people are deeply committed to the future of our country. Despite all the barriers erected to suppress youth voter turnout, we also know we must continue to fight to protect our democracy. Young voices must help shape what comes next as we have the most at stake. This is a fight on many fronts.
But, democracy is an active state. It relies on its citizens deciding to show up. It is built upon the faith that we can continually do better to create a more perfect union. The issues we face – from misinformation to the erosion of institutions – will not be solved overnight. They will join climate change, gun violence and other existential threats that the next generation will ultimately face.
The work must continue, as it will for every generation to come, to bend the arc of our history back toward justice. This is the same country today as it was yesterday and the day before that.
Today marks 725 days from the 2026 Midterms, the next major opportunity for young voters to make their voices heard. Until then, we will be organizing. We will be showing up in local, state and special elections. We will be holding elected leaders accountable. We will be empowering young people to understand the power of their vote and we will be pre-registering 16 and 17-year-olds. We will be defending democracy at every turn. We will not stop working toward a more perfect union.
Sign up to organize. Support us if you can. Take a minute if you need – but please join us when you are ready. We need everyone involved – now more than ever.
