In the News

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

In surveys around the 2020 election, CIRCLE, a civic research shop at Tufts University, found that 13% of people ages 18 to 29 marked climate change as their top concern, the most of any issue.

"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.