The Youth Vote Can and Will Change the Game in 2020
By Gabrielle Mackiewicz
The Progressive Teen Staff Writer
In 2016, I watched the presidential election’s proceedings take place from the sidelines. That was the first election that I had experienced where I actually knew what was going on; I watched the debates, followed the primaries, and chose my favorite candidates. The only problem was that I wasn’t old enough to vote.
But in November 2020, I’ll finally be able to vote. This time, I and millions of other young people around the country will be able to exercise their right to vote. Keeping up with all of the candidates will finally have a reward. This time, Gen Z is hitting the polls, and we’ve got a lot to say.
On numerous occasions since 2016, young people have taken action for causes they believe in. Following the Parkland shooting in February 2018, survivors turned into activists and spurred a nationwide movement of young people. Students walked out of school in protest against gun violence and took to the streets in a movement named March for Our Lives, one of the largest protests in United States history, to call for stricter gun regulations. Names like Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg, and Jaclyn Corin reached millions through the news, internet, and social media to inspire other young people to join them in the fight for change.
This September, youth worldwide marched through the streets in the biggest climate protest ever, led by the Swedish 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, who inspired millions to join her in climate strikes. Young people continue to lead international protests to push for action towards climate change.
The nation’s youth have already proven to be politically active, so it only makes sense that they will turn out to the polls. 43% of young Americans plan to vote in their party’s primary, as opposed to 36% in 2015. Since many are planning to vote in the primaries, it is likely that even more will in the presidential election. The youth vote will be a strong force in 2020.
Beyond presidential elections, young people have already proven that they can turn out and make a difference with their vote. The 2018 midterm elections had an increased turnout, especially for young people, largely due to a major push on social media that encouraged people to vote. Young people are expected to vote in even greater numbers for the 2020 election and have the potential to even surpass a 50% turnout.
This increased turnout is very likely to help Democrats. According to a Pew Research Center poll, about 70% of Gen Z and Millenials disapprove of Donald Trump and tend to lean to the left on many major issues like climate change, race, and the role of government. As young people are more liberal, they tend to agree with the more progressive policies of current Democratic candidates like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
These progressive, liberal candidates appeal to many of the same things that young people support: gun control, environmentalism, combating racial discrimination, and more. The majority think that the government should do more to solve problems as opposed to leaving such problems to be fixed by businesses or individuals. Left-leaning youth are going to support candidates who will help them solve these problems; as they already indicated, Trump is not the one they believe is going to do anything to help.
Support for Democrats and increased voter turnout among young people can change the game in swing states. Even with the expected boost in young voters, they still aren’t likely to surpass the turnout rate of their elders; however, if they are mobilized in battleground states, they have the potential to push the outcome towards a win for Democrats.
Young voters have a lot of power in the 2020 election. They are politically active and largely liberal, and they have the ability to push the vote for a Democratic win. We as young Americans have more power than we realize. Next November, we are going to use it.
