An initial look at youth voting patterns shared by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts (CIRCLE) shows that young Americans ages 18-29 overwhelmingly backed Democrats.

More young voters under 25 registered to vote this midterm election than in 2018, according to CIRCLE Research at Tufts University.

Abortion and the economy are top of young voters’ minds right now, says Ruby Belle Booth, the election coordinator for CIRCLE.

When Black young people show up in Georgia, it can cause pretty big shifts in elections, said CIRCLE elections coordinator Ruby Belle Booth.

CIRCLE Deputy Director Abby Kiesa was quoted on the need to dispel a myth that all young people are liberal.

According to a CIRCLE analysis from September, even solidly blue states are failing to reach the youngest potential voters, ages 18–19. Yet, there are a few key states with significant increases, however, such as Michigan, Nevada, Kansas

CIRCLE Director Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg says it really matters for people to hear their peers advocating for voting. “Young people who think their peers are voting are far more likely to think they’ll also vote.”

With voting in progress and the midterm election days away, young people’s turnout — or lack thereof — may again influence key races that will determine control of Congress.

“Not only do voter ID policies directly impact young people, but they also add an extra layer of complication to voting,” said Ruby Belle Booth, CIRCLE’s elections coordinator.

“Young people absolutely have the potential to change the election dramatically,” said Abby Kiesa, CIRCLE's deputy director.

CIRCLE found that the states that stand to be most affected by youth midterms turnout, like Colorado, have facilitative election laws like automatic, same-day, and/or pre-registration.

Given that registration numbers in most states, including many battleground states, are higher than this last historic midterm, it seems to be a positive sign for young people’s participation in the 2022 midterms,” said CIRCLE’s election coordinator, Ruby Belle Booth.