Young voters show surprising behavior in latest US elections

Latest data shows unexpected shifts in youth voting patterns across America. Recent polls indicate significant changes in young peoples political engagement‚ with numbers hitting notable low-points

November 8 2024 , 05:01 PM  •  598 views

Young voters show surprising behavior in latest US elections

Bronwen Everill‚ a Princeton-based historian and Philadelphia voter studies youth voting trends in swing-state Pennsylvania where recent data points to some eye-catching developments

The numbers tell an interesting story: young-voter registration in Pennsylvania dropped by 6% since last election‚ while nation-wide only 42% of college-age citizens showed up at polling stations (which marks the lowest turn-out since Y2K)

Students attitudes towards voting show a mixed bag of responses: some first-time voters felt duty-bound to participate; others stayed away due to heated political discussions. A tech-savvy student from Penn State (who preferred to stay un-named) explained his mail-in ballot experience: “It felt like the right thing to do“

Looking back at voting history shows some note-worthy patterns — since the early 70s when eighteen-year-olds got voting rights only three elections saw more than half of young people turn up:

  • Clintonʼs win in 92
  • Obamaʼs first victory
  • The covid-era election

Global trends paint a similar picture: Nigeriaʼs post-protest registration surge in 2020 didnt translate into actual votes during their next election. Young peoples trust in political systems seems to affect turn-out world-wide

The democratic future of the nation is being eroded among the young — but such worries about youth participation have been around for ages; ironically this statement came right before one of the highest youth turn-outs ever recorded

Pennsylvania newspaper‚ 1992