Nearly 40,000 citizens registered to vote within 48 hours of President Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 election — 83% of which were between the ages of 18 and 24. Generation Z (Gen Z) has always been known for their civic engagement. However, the excitement was dying down, especially at the start of this past summer, with over half of Gen Z considering not voting this November and extreme pessimism about the government, mostly due to disappointment with both available candidates. With this jump in engagement, it seems as if politicians have secured the youth vote — right?
Even after the recent rise in enthusiasm following the Democratic National Convention (DNC), the gap in the polls remains small, and will undoubtedly continue to fluctuate. What happens now will be a fight between the engaged and the disengaged — especially among Gen Z voters. In order to secure a victory over the other, both sides of the political spectrum must fight one another to continually increase engagement among one of the most important groups of voters: the youth.
How has engagement increased among Gen Z?
We know the recent rise in political engagement can be mostly attributed to Vice President Kamala Harris stepping up as the Democratic nominee.
Jessica Siles, deputy press secretary for Voters of Tomorrow, a left-leaning political advocacy group, was able to attend the DNC and witness this newfound enthusiasm firsthand: “I spoke to a lot of young people this week that — before Vice President Harris was announced [as a candidate] — were planning on voting, and now they're planning on voting, and door knocking and volunteering,” she explained.
Politicians understand the need to appeal to Gen Z
The youth vote is key to securing the presidential ticket — and politicians know this.
Siles witnessed firsthand how Democrats have worked to appeal to young voters and the DNC. “This DNC [felt like] the most pro-youth convention I've ever seen. There were tons of young people — from delegates to attendees — and they also invited a ton of content creators,” she recalled. “Politicians definitely understand that — especially online — a lot of young people are getting a lot of their information there, and a lot of important political conversations are happening there.”
In a statement to E2024, Amahree Archie, the Harris campaign's Nevada press secretary, confirmed that part of their campaign strategy is directly appealing to Gen Z. “The Harris campaign understands the crucial role that young voters play in this election and is tirelessly fighting for issues that matter most to us, such as gun control reform, student loan forgiveness, and protecting reproductive freedoms,” she wrote.
Issues are a good way to secure youth votes, as many members of Gen Z tend to focus on issues rather than candidates.
The role of the uninvolved and undecided
Diann Cameron-Kelly, Ph.D., associate provost for student success at Adelphi University who has conducted extensive research on Gen Z and civic engagement, emphasized the need to continue this fight in the swing states. “We have got to get the youth vote out in the battleground states. No matter which side you're voting on, it's essential, not just for the presidential election, but for up and down the ballot. It is significant that the youth vote is front and center in the swing states."
A representative of Nevada, a crucial swing state, Archie believes that “young people across Nevada know that the future of the country is on the ballot in November.”
How can we continue to increase engagement?
Gen Z wants representation. This generation is growing up — and they want a seat at the adult's table. This means politicians are going beyond earning the youth vote, but also delivering their promises and understanding what Gen Z voters want.
Cameron-Kelly argues Harris’ success with the youth vote can be partially attributed to her understanding and recognition of Gen Z. “What you did find with Vice President Harris was a renewed purpose for the young voters. That there is a place for them at the table. And that's what you've seen with this revisited youth resurgence in presidential electoral politics. You see a resurgence of the young voice, of the youth attention, of youth engagement in the body politic.”
Another way Gen Z can find political representation is direct leadership, such as in Gen Z members of Congress. “One of the weapons in the Democratic arsenal is Representative Maxwell Frost,” explains Cameron-Kelly. “He is a Gen Zer, he is extremely engaged and he is instrumental in being a voice for Gen Zers. The right could [follow suit] by having one or two members from Gen Z, or who are respected by Gen Z, because you have the young Republicans out there doing enormous amounts of stuff.”
Siles has faith that Gen Z will get more politically involved on their own. “I think what I'm seeing is people are ready to do what it takes to continue building on this momentum, and getting young people further and further involved because our futures are at stake,” she argued.
The engaged Gen Zers have an advantage — their voice will be heard, both in their vote and in their involvement in political affairs. But for those that remain tuned out to politics, consider this: only through political engagement will your opinions create change.
This is the opinion of Kesenia Goldstein ('27), a political science major from Walnut Creek, Cal. Send comments and feedback to editor@theloyolan.com. Follow @LALoyolan and @projecte2024 on Instagram and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
