Millennials don't suck at voting

[BeyondGeography]

Turnout among 18-29 year olds was 50 percent in 2016. That's not terrible, historically speaking.

The first election 18-year-olds could vote, participation in that group was 58 percent (1972), which remains the all-time high.

2000 was the low point at 40 percent. Obama 08 pushed the number up to 52 percent and it went down to 49 percent in 2012. Of course, those are presidential year numbers.

60 percent of them (18-29) voted for Obama in 2012 and 55 percent went for HRC. In 2000, Gore and and Bush tied among 18-24 year-olds at 47 percent. Our buddy Ralph Nader got 5 percent.

Anyway, the kids are alright. I've got a couple of them myself. They vote. They march. They volunteer. One of them does complain about her tax bite though...Can't take these kids for granted.

[RandySF]

1. They turned out for Northam in VA.

I think they just don’t care about primaries.

[guillaumeb]

2. Do they realize that the ultimate candidate is determined in the primary?

Pointing out the need for more education in civics/politics.

[Awsi Dooger]

3. New article about millennials and voting today

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/poll-millennials-disillusioned-about-midterm-elections-n904436

I read it a few hours ago. Lots of stuff. Basically the millennials only have a slightly positive view of the Democratic Party but very negative view of the Republican Party, only 26% to 60% unfavorable.

However, only slightly above half the millennials say they are likely to vote this year, while 8% say they definitely won't vote and 11% probably won't vote and 25% uncertain.

Most demographics view these midterms as roughly the same in importance to past midterms, but a plurality of Asian Americans and Latino Americans view these midterms as more significant than typical

[NCTraveler]

4. Some of them are ok.

Some of them suck.

[kacekwl]

5. I still can't fathom that people think it's OK not to vote.

It's a banner election if 50% of voters vote. Blows my mind.

[frazzled]

6. No they don't suck, but they lag behind other age groups

Gen Xers turned out at 62.6%; Boomers at 68.7%; and Seniors at 70.1%.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/05/12/black-voter-turnout-fell-in-2016-even-as-a-record-number-of-americans-cast-ballots/ft_17-05-12_voterturnout_millennialnew/

[BeyondGeography]

7. This has always been the case, whatever labels you want to use

https://civicyouth.org/PopUps/FactSheets/FS_Youth%20turnout1972_2002.pdf

[frazzled]

8. Yes, young people have always voted in smaller numbers than other age groups

I don’t understand your point. The main lesson is that young people could vote in greater numbers if they cared to. Yes, their numbers have risen and fallen slightly in various years (I think Clinton/Gore in 1992 did the best on youth turnout according to charts I’ve seen), but they’ve always been at the bottom of voter turnout by age.

Millennial currently make up 30% of the voting age population. But then that means 70% of the voting population are not millennials, and those voters vote in significantly larger numbers.

The only thing for sure is that millennials will grow older, and thus, like generations before them, vote more (and probably somewhat more moderately). And that a new generation of young voters will call them sell-outs. So the world turns.

[BeyondGeography]

9. Two points

The numbers have been a LOT worse than at present (see 2000).

And they can have a big impact on results when you give them a candidate who excites them (Obama).