In a matchup between Biden and Trump, many young voters say they might choose silence.
By Fortesa Latifi, Teen Vogue
For the first time since he became eligible to vote, Elias, 26, isn’t going to cast a ballot for president in the next election. Lillian, 20, hasn’t decided whether she’s going to vote or not. Lia, 28, is going to leave the spot for “president” blank on her ballot. And Zach, 22, is having a hard time convincing some of his friends that their vote matters.
After a record-breaking youth turnout in 2020 helped decide the election for President Joe Biden, a recent poll released by the Harvard Kennedy School shows that young Americans seem less likely to vote in 2024 than they were in 2020. According to the poll, at this point in the 2020 election cycle, 57% of Americans between ages 18 and 29 were planning to vote; that number has since declined to 49%. Though Gen Z voters prefer President Biden over his likely challenger, former president Donald Trump, only 35% of this demographic approves of Biden’s performance as president.
Given that young voters helped secure a win for Biden in 2020, lower youth-vote turnout in 2024 could change the outcome of the election. Still, some left-leaning young people have decided to abstain rather than vote for Biden or the Democratic Party, a candidate and a system some say they simply cannot support.
Recent Posts
‘Worse Than Iraq’: Three Former Biden Officials Explain Why They Resigned Over War In Gaza
May 16, 2024
Take Action Now “There’s just this blind unwillingness to recognize the U.S. does have all the power here – this notion that it’s not really…
Reflections On Student Activism
May 16, 2024
Take Action Now William Hartung, Democracy Versus Autocracy on America’s Campuses By William D. Hartung, Tom Dispatch I’ve spent most of my…
A Whistleblower’s Return To The World.
May 15, 2024
Take Action Now This was to be my first trip abroad in a very long time, certainly the first time since being released from prison. By Jeffrey…
Only Our Enemies Commit War Crimes
May 15, 2024
Take Action Now A half-baked report highlights the double standard US officials use for Israel By Connor Echols, Responsible Statecraft On NBC’s…