In the 2020 Presidential Election, 70% of older generations turned out to vote, compared the 51% of eligible voters aged 18 to 24, according to ourworldindata.org. Despite younger generation’s growing presence on social media, this gap in voting engagement highlights a challenge in captivating young voters for the upcoming elections, according to ourworldindata.org. As the youth vote represents the most diverse and unpredictable group of voters, young voters have become a target demographic for the upcoming 2024 Presidential Election, according to washingtonpost.com.
Presidential candidates have started to incorporate social media into their campaign strategies, such as Tiktok and Instagram. These platforms contain videos and graphics that emphasizes the importance of voting and addresses key issues that resonate with younger audiences. Social media platforms also aid campaigns by spreading information quickly, according to rutgers.edu.
Experts believe that participation among this age group will have an impact on the outcome of presidential elections. Involvement in elections also encourages young voters to voice their opinions and advocate for important issues within the United States (US), according to rutgers.edu. Mrs. Jillian Bozzi, Upper School History Teacher, commented on the significance of young voters in the 2024 Presidential Election.
“Young people are the future of our country,” Mrs. Bozzi said. “It is vital for them to educate themselves with the electoral process and become actively involved in our democracy at an early age. Voting allows them to help shape policies that will directly impact their adulthood, and it gives them a sense of ownership.”
Generation Z voters are among the most passionate when it comes to social, according to asa.org. However, many of these voters feel that the Electoral College is not enough to help the issues. They think that their individual vote in the presidential election matters disproportionately, so many do not end up voting, according to lwv.org. Mrs. Bozzi commented on why younger voters may feel discouraged from voting.
“I think younger voters are mostly unaware of how much of an impact their political participation and vote can have on our country,” Mrs Bozzi said. “In the past two presidential elections, the under 25 voter turnout was between 40%-50%. That leaves a huge number of eligible voters not contributing to policies that will affect their futures. When there is no contribution-ship, people tend to move towards a more apathetic view of their country.”
Despite the naivety of younger citizens, they make up almost 40 million potential voters for this upcoming election, and have diverse opinions on pressing issues. Young voters’ engagement in elections is crucial as it involves themselves in their civic obligation and introduces new ideas into the US government, according to lwv.org. Senior Kaitlyn Droscoski, who is eligible to vote in the 2024 Presidential Election, noted the impact that voting at a young age can have on future political engagement.
“At such a young age, you do not have that much influence on the government, and voting allows for more,” Kaitlyn said. “Voting at a young age influences future political engagement because it gets the younger generations involved early on. People my age have not a huge impact on shaping public policies and government priorities and that is why voting is so important.”
Featured Image by Eloise Liggitt ’26
