Dear John,

This week, young voters dominated. They showed up, took charge, and demonstrated that they are shaping the future.

They’ve watched as the future of their American Dream slips away – from attacks on the freedom of speech and rising political violence to rollbacks on clean energy and an economy that’s crushing them. And they aren’t having it.

On Tuesday, they decided elections across the map. Even more remarkable: this happened in an odd-year, when the turnout gap between young and older voters is typically wider than in federal election years. Data is still rolling in, but here’s what we know so far:

California: Nearly 80% of young Californians backed Proposition 50 – higher than any other age group.

New Jersey:
- 29% of NJ young voters cast a ballot, up 9 points from the last gubernatorial election in 2021.
- 69% of young voters supported Mikie Sherrill for governor.
- Young women delivered a 62-point margin for the governor-elect and young men, a 10-point margin.

New York:
- 19% of young NYC voters cast a ballot, up 11-points from 2013.
- 78% of young voters supported Zohran Mamdani for mayor.
- Gen Z and Millennials delivered a 40+ point margin in support of the mayor-elect, which was enough to offset the -10 point margin from voters 45 and older.

Virginia:
- 34% of young voters cast a ballot, up 7 points from the last gubernatorial election in 2021.
- 69% of young voters supported Abigail Spanberger for governor.
- The 38-point vote split is the largest margin among young VA voters since 2017, including presidential elections. In contrast, older voters showed no real change in vote choice.

We saw direct democracy in action beyond California. Maine voters struck down a restrictive voter ID law that would have made it harder for young people to cast a ballot. These ballot measures put the power to make decisions about democracy directly in voters' hands. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania voters retained three state supreme court justices who have ruled in favor of voting rights.

Still, there is much work to be done, particularly as we anticipate increased efforts to undermine our elections. The issues we face won't be solved overnight – voting is not a quick fix or an easy solution, but it is essential.

But young voters sent a message: the future belongs to those who fight for it. And we aren’t backing down.

Thank you for being with us,

Carolyn DeWitt

President & Executive Director

Rock the Vote