In the News

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.

CIRCLE data on youth voter turnout in recent elections adds context to this article about the importance of young people to the upcoming 2022 midterm elections.

CIRCLE Director Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg shares some insights into why youth voter turnout may once again be high in 2022, and the impact young people could have on the 2022 midterm elections.

CIRCLE's postdoctoral researcher Sara Suzuki talks about the role of climate activism, its importance to young people as an issue, and its potential impact on the 2022 midterm elections.

Some 8.3 million voters who turned 18 since the previous general election in 2020 are eligible to vote in this year's elections, according to the non-partisan Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement at Tufts University.