2026 Youth Voter Turnout Second-Highest for a Midterm Election in the Last 30 Years
CIRCLE estimates that 27% of young people voted in the 2026 midterm elections, which matches our early estimate of youth electoral participation from the 2022 midterms. It is the second-highest midterm youth voter turnout in the past 30 years, trailing only the 2018 election cycle.
This exclusive early estimate is based on data from The Voter Poll by SSRS and population data calculated by CIRCLE. Exit-poll-based data can overestimate voter turnout. There is a +/- 2 percentage point margin of error, so youth turnout could be as low as 25% and as high as 29%. We will update this estimate in Spring 2027 when voter-file-based data becomes available.
When compared with our early estimates from previous midterm cycles, this 27% estimate is a reliable indicator that youth voter turnout was similar to the most recent midterm and remains strong compared to previous decades. Immediately after the 2010 and 2014 elections, we estimated that about 20% of youth had voted in those elections—some of the lowest rates of youth participation ever in a midterm cycle. In 2018, our early estimate put youth turnout at 31%—a historic high for young people in a midterm. Youth turnout remained relatively high in 2022 (27%), and 2026 matched it.
Electoral participation tends to be higher in states with highly competitive races, and we estimate that youth voter turnout was 30%, in aggregate, in battleground states in the 2026 midterms. For the purpose of this analysis, battleground states are: Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin. There is a +/- 3 percentage point margin of error on our estimate of battleground youth voter turnout, which may range from 27% to 33%.
Strong Turnout and Decisive Vote Choice Key to Youth Impact
The combination of relatively high youth voter turnout compared to previous midterms and an overwhelming preference for democrats turned young voters into a decisive force in the 2026 midterm elections.
Nationally, young voters backed Democratic U.S. House candidates by a 35-point margin: 66% of youth voted for a Democrat and 31% for a Republican. Read more on youth vote choice and how it compares to past elections.
In some states, young people’s preference for Democratic candidates was even higher. In the Georgia Senate and Governor races, for example, youth vote for Democratic candidates topped 70%. In Mississippi, where the U.S. Senate race remains unexpectedly too close to call, more than 75% of youth voted for the Democratic candidate. Explore our state-by-state data on the youth vote.
Gen Z is the most diverse generation in American history, and the youth vote varied widely by demographics. As in previous elections, young women and youth of color gave Democratic candidates the strongest support. But groups that had shifted toward President Trump in the 2024 election swung back toward Democrats in 2026: notably white youth and young men. See how different demographic groups voted.
Across demographic groups, young people remain issue-focused voters who are motivated by a desire to effect change and drive action on their concerns. In the 2026 midterms, the economy was at the top of young people’s priority list, alongside other key issues like health care and the war in Iran. But issues like climate change and racism also factored into young voters’ choice for Democrats, while youth who were focused on immigration and crime were more likely to vote for Republicans. Overall: more than 80% of youth said they want “substantial change” or a “complete and total upheaval” of how the country is being run—indicative of a major “change election” and a mandate from youth for major transformation. Read more about the issues and attitudes that drove the youth vote.
CIRCLE will continue to publish analyses of young voters in the coming days and weeks, including exclusive data on the young Americans who did not turn out to vote in the 2026 midterms. You can find all our data on the 2026 youth vote here.
