Young Voters in 2022 by Race/Ethnicity
In every election cycle CIRCLE undertakes comprehensive analyses of trends, needs, and attitudes related to civic participation among different groups of youth—including by race/ethnicity. The current generation of young people is the most racially diverse in American history, and their different backgrounds, identities, and experiences make for different contexts that shape political participation. It is vital to understand those contexts in order to fully prepare and engage all youth in democracy.
Our research on young voters in 2022 reveals that there’s still a lot of work to do to achieve full equality of civic opportunity and a truly representative electorate. There remains a major gap in youth voter turnout by race/ethnicity, with white youth voting at nearly twice the rate of Black and Latino youth in that most recent midterm election.
The analyses in this report are aimed at understanding the root causes of these inequities in order to eliminate barriers faced by different youth and to create opportunities for all young people to vote and otherwise engage in civic life. Based on CIRCLE’s 2022 post-election survey, and originally published separately in the late summer and fall of 2023, they offer insights specific to Asian, Black, Latino, and White youth—and can serve as a roadmap for efforts to promote more equitable participation in the 2024 election.
