John Holbein is a Professor of Public Policy, Politics and Education at the University of Virginia. He’s studied the youth vote and concluded there are many reasons why only 40-50% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 typically cast ballots.
“Young people aren’t just lazy or apathetic or disinterested in politics,” he explains. “They care about the future of our democracy. They care about the issues. They just have a difficult time translating that level of interest into action.”
For one thing, he says, some have never registered or voted before.
“This is a new experience for them. They feel like the stakes are very high, and so they’re afraid of making mistakes.”
Young adults may have a lot going on in their lives – going to school, applying to college, finding a place to live or a job, and some states have made it more complicated to register and cast a ballot. Others, like Virginia, have made it easier by offering same day voter registration.
“Allowing young voters to show up at the ballot box and register during an early voting period or on Election Day boosts the chances that young people will cast a ballot.”
And as young people age, they are more likely to vote.
“Finding a stable place of residence, graduating from college, getting married – these types of life events provide a stability and a certain level of life experience that make it easier for young people to overcome the hurdles and obstacles that stand in the way of them casting a ballot.”
He notes that young voters are more likely to favor Democrats – adding to their margin of victory in several battleground states that elected senators and governors in 2022.
“It’s definitely the case that young people skew more democratic, so we’ve seen again and again in polls that young people are favoring Harris by a two to one margin.”
Holbein isn’t predicting turnout, but he says endorsements from influencers like Taylor Swift have boosted registration by young voters, and in the last presidential election one think tank reported that half of voters between 18 and 29 cast ballots – a remarkable 11 point increase from 2016.