Fact Sheet: When It Comes to Voting, Millennials Seek Solutions Over Partisanship
by Layla Zaidane and Claudia Rojas
This fact sheet outlines a 2018 poll conducted by a bipartisan team of pollsters and commissioned by the Civil Society Institute.
November 2018
In an era of polarization, one group of voters stands out for its unique ability to unite around policy solutions: Millennials. New research conducted by conducted by bipartisan pollsters, Vince Breglio & Associates and Hart Research Associates and commissioned by the Civil Society Institute in partnership with the Millennial Action Project, reveals a large segment of the population is in fact a “Solutions Voter” — a voter who believes practical solutions exist for most of our problems, and is optimistic that we can solve them.
This crucial voting bloc has largely gone unnoticed in traditional politics, but has been consistent and significant force in the American electorate with the most recent Breglio-Hart poll showing their numbers growing from 38% in 2017 to 43% in 2018. These voters are engaged, informed, independent-minded, and prioritize solutions over ideology. More than half (51.6%) of all Solutions Voters are Millennials, demonstrating their preference for policy solutions rather than party politics. As Millennials’ influence grows on U.S. politics, this group stands to shift the way we address problem-solving, and can lead the nation past partisan gridlock.
Millennials Unite Around Solutions to Polarizing Issues
Millennials don’t fit the traditional two-party mold. Regardless of party affiliation, Millennials tend to align on finding solutions to polarizing issues including immigration, race, health care, and the economy, rather than acting on ideology.
Across the political spectrum, millennials favor solutions to address immigration and refugee populations:
- 61% of Millennials believe immigrants should be offered a path to legal status after vetting vs. 52.7% of the general population
- 40.7% of Millennials support accepting our fair share of displaced persons vs. 33.8% of the general population
Millennials view civil rights as an area for increased action:
- 49% of Millennials consider the country must continue making changes to give blacks and Hispanics equal rights vs. 37% of the general population
Rather than repealing the ACA, Millennials are more likely to support taking action to further ensure access to affordable health care:
- 40.7% of Millennials support creating a national health plan in which all Americans would get insurance from a single payer government plan vs. 35.6% of the general population
Millennial Solutions Voters: A Force in American Politics
While Millennials show a striking unity when it comes to solving problems that impact their generation, Millennial ‘Solutions Voters’ are poised to be an even more compelling force, with remarkable difference when it comes to attitudes as compared to older generations.
Approach to dealing with unauthorized immigrants…
- Unauthorized immigrants who are not found guilty of a crime should just be left alone: 23.7% of Millennials agree vs. 13.9% of Solutions Voters age 35+
Approach to dealing with refugees and asylum…
- Given the numbers of people in the world displaced by war, US should accept more refugees: 22% of Millennials agree vs. 11.1% of Solutions Voters age 35+
Approach to civil rights…
- Our country must continue making changes to give blacks and Hispanics equal rights: 47.5% of Millennials agree vs. 32.8% of Solutions Voters age 35+
Approach to the future of work…
- Rapid advances in technology and robotics will have a positive impact creating more jobs: 43.1% of Millennials agree vs. 37.2% of Solutions Voters age 35+
Millennials are Motivated to Vote by the Issues
By and large, Millennials are increasingly identifying as neither Democrat or Republican. As such, party affiliation is not enough for a candidate to win a Millennial’s vote. Instead, Millennials support candidates that offer a mix of solutions rather than rhetoric driven by pure ideology.
- Millennials are most motivated to vote for candidates with whom they agree on the issues (33.9%)
- The second largest motivation for Millennials is to vote for candidates who will change the US system of government by focusing on redistricting and democracy reform (23.9%)
Millennials are an independently minded generation and an emerging majority who are ushering in an approach to politics that prioritizes solutions for the country’s future over political ideology and party politics. Millennial Solutions Voters represent a constant but unrecognized force in the American electorate found across the political spectrum from liberals to conservatives who seek practical solutions-oriented governing. Political candidates who have the ability and courage to cross party dogma to offer the right mix of solutions on the issues they support such as health care, immigration, and civil rights, can hold special appeal to the Millennial Solutions Voter in 2018.
Methodology: The 2018 Civil Society Institute (CSI) and Millennial Action Project national survey of Millennial voters ages 18 to 34 was conducted in August 2018. The survey was based on a national cross-sectional samples of approximately 800 registered voters 18–34. Respondents completed an extensive online questionnaire approximately 20 minutes in length.
