That Gen Z midterm boost for Democrats might be real

[RandySF]

Democrats avoided an electoral wipeout in the 2022 midterms. One way they did so was by reassembling a history-defying coalition of young voters who turned out at rates more commonly seen in presidential elections, according to a new study of voter-file data according to a new study of voter file data.

The Democratic data firm Catalist found that these voters bested 2018 turnout levels in states with the most competitive races for governor or Senate — and they overwhelmingly favored Democratic candidates, even if the overall political environment swung to the right.

Like other studies of the 2022 electorate — which mostly rely on surveys of voters on or around Election Day — the Catalist report finds that Democrats increased their support among women voters over 2020. Abortion is cited as a key factor in that shift: Polls and registration data show that Democratic women were more motivated to vote after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision.

The Catalist report does offer some warning signs for the party, particularly a drop in turnout among Black voters. But it mostly suggests that close, high-turnout elections continue to be the norm since Donald Trump’s election in 2016. Both sides are highly activated to participate in both presidential elections and years in between. That means we could be headed to another year of record or near-record voter turnout in 2024, even if both candidates wind up being unpopular.




https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/18/gen-z-democrat-midterm-voters-00097576

[LetMyPeopleVote]

1. Here is some interesting polling that makes me smile

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[ProudMNDemocrat]

2. Republicans are doomed with YOUNG voters.

They are more than determined to prevent them from voting in droves come 2024.

They are a force to be reckoned with. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the anti-abortion laws in Republican states, they will rise to the occasion because the country will be theirs come the next generation.

[Meadowoak]

3. It's definitely real.

[CrispyQ]

4. I have so much hope in our younger generation!!

I'm thinking a 60s style revolution on steroids is coming!

These kids grew up listening to their grandparents talk about the Vietnam war, Kent State, Roe v Wade, getting the voting age lowered. You don't take something like bodily autonomy away from young women who have grown up with that right & not suffer consequences for that. These kids have friends & family who are LGBTQ. You don't attack their loved ones without consequence. You don't ignore climate change cuz you'll be dead before it affects you & think young poeple are gonna vote for you.

Fuck you republican relics, & all the stupid assholes who vote for you, too. These kids are gonna kick your asses to the curb! ~insert flip-the-bird emoji here

[reymega life]

5. me too I have great faith in out young voters

they will never prevent them from voting

[marble falls]

11. "In out young voters", I've never thought of it like that before. Only goes to show one, right?

[Sky Jewels]

9. My kids are Gen Z. They and their friends are VERY progressive.

And they definitely know what is going on. They don't fall for propaganda (political, religious, corporate, whatever) like the older generations are prone to do. (Yes, these are big generalizations.)

They are not super enamored with the Democratic Party, to say the least, but they vote D because there's no alternative. Hopefully they'll eventually be able to move the party away from the Corporate/Republican Lite model that is still prevalent amongst some elected officials and party leaders and make it a more robust, go-on-the-offense, no-apologies-for-progressive-policies party.

[Wounded Bear]

6. Perhaps all those young voters are seeking a bit of sanity in governance...

and want to move away from the batshit crazy fundamentalist religious fanaticism they're seeing from the right.

Perhaps.

[EYESORE 9001]

7. Now, just VOTE already!

Please!

[Sky Jewels]

8. And to those DUers who are always so eager to disparage Gen Z:

Just STOP, please!

The problems are with Gen X (my generation) and older, not with Young Americans.

[BlueCheeseAgain]

10. According to the article...

Voters under 30 actually decreased as a share of the electorate from 2018 to 2022. If you include Gen Z and millennials (who aren't actually that young), they went from 23% to 26%. All other age groups stayed the same, except for the oldest, who dropped 3%. This makes me wonder if much of the increase is simply due to demographic change.

So while younger voters vote Dem, they're still not really showing up.

[Act_of_Reparation]

13. Statista

Link

Seems like they are showing up, more so than Gen X and late period Boomers were at their age, anyway.

[maxsolomon]

12. I wasn't aware that Dems kept control of Congress.

Oh, wait, you mean they didn't lose as badly as expected?