In the News

"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.

Recent polling has found that 40% of youth, especially women, describe the top court’s decision ending the federally guaranteed right to abortion as making them more likely to vote in this year’s midterms.

Young voters played a huge role in shifting swing states in the 2020 presidential election, helping to lead Biden to victory with a 25-point lead among young voters.