Why Young People Don't Vote

FEATURE BY SOFIA CARLOS

WHY YOUNG PEOPLE DON’T VOTE

Political campaign and proposition ads are currently flooding every media platform. Street poles and front lawns have once again become lined with candidates’ signs and posters. This can only mean one thing: election season is upon us. The 2022 United States Midterm Election and California Gubernatorial Election have caused the discussion of voter turnout to resurface, specifically surrounding the youth vote. The lack of voter turnout among young people in the U.S. is no secret. Younger people have historically voted at lower rates than any other age demographic, and this might happen again during this year’s elections.

The Public Policy Institute of California found that among 12,251 adults surveyed, only 23% of 18 to 34-year-olds are likely to vote in the 2022 California Gubernatorial Election even though they make up 32% of the adult population. This is a stark contrast from 47% of voters ages 55 and older being likely to vote while they make up 34% of the adult population. Low youth voter turnout is not just a California issue either, it is a nationwide problem. According to the United States Census Bureau, 51% of 18 to 24-yearolds voted in the 2020 presidential election. While this is a spike in youth voter turnout compared to previous presidential elections, it is still significantly lower than other age groups. For reference, 71% of 45 to 64-yearolds voted in the 2020 Presidential Election. It can be easy to reduce younger people’s lack of involvement in voting to the stereotypical millennial and Generation Z laziness, but the issue is much more complex than that.

Dr. Matt Lesenyie, a Long Beach State political science professor, explained that one of the main reasons people vote is their investments in property, such as a home or a car. This requires people to be more invested in politics because they have more to lose property-wise. Older people generally make more money than younger people, so they are more likely to have property and be homeowners. Lesenyie says that since homeowners cannot move their home, they tend to care more about what’s going on around them. As a result, a gap in voter participation happens. Younger people are also relatively new to navigating the world around them, and this can affect their awareness of politics and voting. “A lot of people have a hard time seeing the linkage between their political activity and political outcomes,” said Lesenyie, “That’s especially true for young folks.” Lesenyie expressed how younger people have a lot going on in their lives, such as school, work, and socialization so they might not have enough time to become invested in politics.

While data proves that young people have the lowest voter turnout, there are still youth who regularly vote. Jesse Aguiar, a junior at Long Beach State, is an avid voter. Aguiar believes that the lack of youth voting is due to a loss of hope in politics among young people. Data from a 2022 poll conducted by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School found that among a poll of 2,024 18 to 29-year-olds, 42% believe their votes do not make a difference. Aguiar also feels that the education system does not encourage people to be civically engaged.

Providing better civic education is something that Matthew Mendez Garcia, a Long Beach State political science professor, highlighted as a way to raise the youth vote. “To keep people engaged I think there needs to be better civic education starting in K through 12,” said Mendez Garcia, “teaching civic values like the importance of voting, how government works, and giving examples of how politics and government impact your daily life is one thing that can be done.” Mendez Garcia also noted that political parties could do more to integrate youth voters into their organizations, such as having more voter outreach.

“Political parties are more likely to contact frequent voters,” said Mendez Garcia, “Young voters are new voters so they’re less likely to be contacted.”This is no surprise since, according to the Pew Research Center, younger voters were less likely than older voters to say they were contacted by political campaigns through printed mail, email or phone calls throughout the 2020 presidential election season.

Low voter turnout can also be driven by a lack of knowledge and experience surrounding politics and elections. Timothy Lossing, a senior at Long BeachState, is a regular voter who feels that young peopleare not politically engaged enough. He believes thatthis is contributing to them voting at lower rates thanother age groups. “They know about certain issues, but they don’t have a fully formed overall political ideology,” said Lossing. Aguiar additionally noted thelack of engagement youth have with local and state elections in comparison to presidential elections. “I think it’s just a huge disconnect,” said Aguiar, “People have strong public opinions but because of the lack of experience in engaging civically they don’t know when local elections and state elections are.” This is reflected in the PPIC’s data that predicts only 23% of young adults are likely to vote in the California gubernatorial election.

The 2022 midterms are very much up in the air as to whether young people will continue the trend of higher-than-average voter turnout. A report by the Ad Council Research Institute and MTV Entertainment detailed that in a survey 59% of young Americans reported they plan to vote in the 2022 midterm elections. However, both Lesenyie and Mendez Garcia noted that the increase in voter turnout in previous elections was in part due to Donald Trump’s presence. “The huge turnout was because young folks saw Trump as a bigger threat to their future,” said Lesenyie, “Moving forward is that trend going to continue? Only if the threat of Trump or someone similar is on the ballot.” Lossing and Aguiar both believe that the youth vote will continue to increase. Lossing said that since the U.S. is in a very polarized state right now, young people will be motivated to vote since they feel the upcoming elections are very important. Aguiar discussed how the greater amount of political discourse on social media leads him to believe that voter turnout will increase.

Although it is uncertain which direction youth voter turnout will take right now, it is still important to use your voice in this election and others. To all the young people out there, please vote.

ILLUSTRATION BY JENA QUACH