Young voters are not the future of the Democratic Party — they are the here and now

Last week, we met the new Democratic base: voters under 30. As the only age group with a strong majority supporting Democrats — breaking 2-to-1 — youth voter turnout singlehandedly prevented the heavily anticipated “red wave” in the 2022 midterm elections. This should come as no surprise as Gen Z and millennials are the two largest, most progressive and most racially diverse generations in American history. These generations are not the future of the Democratic Party – they are the here and now. And it’s time for the investment in young people to match their contribution to the party. Despite making up 40 percent of all eligible voters in America, Gen Z and millennial voters have historically not received the same prioritization as older voters. But the conventional wisdom that young people won’t vote is flat-out wrong. As we look to the future, investments in registering, communicating with, and engaging young voters must be prioritized. The path to progressive success runs through those generations.

In the last most recent midterms and presidential elections, young people have turned out at higher rates than previous generations when they were under 30. Between 1974 and 2014, youth voter participation in midterm elections never crossed 25 percent and dipped as low as 15.9 percent in 2014. But in 2018, with the emergence of Gen Z, youth voter participation passed 30 percent. We see this trend most prominently during presidential elections where 39 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds voted in 2016, with 55% percent voting for Democrats.

Just four years later in 2020, participation shot up to a historic 50 percent, with 61 percent breaking for Democrats, delivering the margin of victory in key red-to-blue flips in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. We saw that trend continue last Tuesday night.

Democrats could not have held the Senate without the high youth turnout in key races including Pennsylvania, Arizona and New Hampshire. Democrats received 76 percent of the youth vote in Arizona, 74 percent in New Hampshire and 70 percent of the youth vote in Pennsylvania. Young voters are clearly essential to building winning electoral coalitions for Democratic candidates, so we must continue to prioritize young voters’ policy priorities.

The Fall 2022 Harvard Youth Poll revealed that ahead of the midterms, young Democrats between the ages of 18 and 29 were primarily motivated by abortion rights, protecting democracy, inflation and climate change. An October NBC poll revealed that climate change was the most important issue for 29 percent of Gen Z voters, compared to just 17 percent of all voters surveyed. And while young Republicans align with older Republicans on most issues, a July 2022 Pew Research Poll revealed that younger Republicans (18 to 29) are significantly more supportive of implementing federal legislation to address the climate crisis than older Republicans. 

Young voters need to know that their candidates and elected officials are ready to provide real solutions that meet the magnitude of the crisis. That’s the only path forward. Young people are the future of progressive politics and the Democratic Party. Year-round investment and outreach are table stakes.

If candidates and campaigns want young people to stay engaged and increase their democratic participation, they will need to meet young people where they are, and not only during election season. It’s not enough to speak to young people in the few months before they enter the voting booth or mail in their ballots. We need to reach them on all platforms, consistently, year-round to build a lasting coalition. If we invest even a tenth of this cycle’s advertising budget in building long-term, sustainable youth voter infrastructure, the impact will compound for cycles to come. As new voters enter the electorate and coalesce around similar policy priorities, regardless of party, the leaders who authentically engage and champion them – will determine the future of politics in this country. Young people are shaping the political outcomes of this country, and it’s time for the investment in them to reflect that reality.

Tom Steyer is a former Democratic presidential candidate, the founder of NextGen America, as well as the co-executive chair of Galvanize Climate Solutions.