Recent data from the Tufts University Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement found that youth of color can be decisive in key races, including in Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina and Georgia.

About half of voters 18 to 29 years old voted in 2020, according to the Tufts University Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. In Florida, youth voter turnout was at 54% in 2020, 10 percentage points more than in 2016.

To see almost twice as much voter turnout compared to the prediction, I have to believe young people played a role in that,” said CIRCLE Director Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg about the recent primary election and referendum in Kansas.

The August 25 Washington Post editorial extensively cites CIRCLE data on youth voting and what it takes to knock down barriers to young people's civic participation at the ballot box.

“Youth often have few people talking directly to them about politics, helping them make those connections with the issues they care about," says CIRCLE Deputy Director Abby Kiesa

"Interest in voting isn't some innate quality, it must be taught and nurtured by creating a culture in which youth can develop their voice," said CIRCLE's Alberto Medina.

A recent study by CIRCLE found that Pennsylvania is one out of the states in which the youth vote could disproportionately decide the winner.

In 2020, according to CIRCLE, over 50 percent of Gen Zers said they tried to convince peers to vote, often by sharing online petitions and other resources for their peers to see.

"Indicators of youth engagement in a midterm election are pretty good, relatively speaking," said CIRCLE Deputy Director Abby Kiesa.

According to CIRCLE, the slow pace of newly eligible voter registrations in dozens of states is “a call to action for campaigns and organizers” who want to engage young people in the democratic process.

In about half of states where reliable data is available, meanwhile, researchers flagged that the number of 18-to-24-year-olds who were registered to vote in June is lagging behind the 2018 pace, especially for freshly eligible ballot casters.

Our deputy director Abby Kiesa writes that the fight over abortion rights now taking place in states has strong potential to motivate and mobilize young voters on both sides of the issue.