The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for November 22, 2022

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Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Institute of Politics – Harvard Youth Poll
Tufts University Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) –
Millions of Youth Cast Ballots, Decide Key 2022 Races
Teen Vogue – Youth Voter Turnout in the 2022 Midterms Shows Strong Support for Democrats, Abortion Rights
CNN – Analysis: Democrats would have gotten crushed this election without young voters

Groups Taking Action:
Alliance for Youth Action, NextGen America, Campus Vote Project, Student PIRGS

Today’s Script:  (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time) 

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

In September, we reported on expectations of a high turnout of younger voters in the 2022 midterms.  Did that turnout materialize, and what were the consequences?

A Harvard Kennedy School study released in late October suggested that 40% of 18 to 29-year-olds said they would “definitely” vote in the midterms.  Then Tufts University’s Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, CIRCLE, found that an estimated 27% of that group DID vote.   That number was historically high, but not as high as the 31% turn out in the 2018 midterms, driven by a reaction to Trump’s presidency and the shooting of students at Florida’s Stoneman Douglas High School. 

CIRCLE’S polling found that nationally, 12% of all votes cast were younger voters, and in battleground states, turnout matched 2018’s 31%.   

Battleground states also saw younger voters break heavily for Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate, Congress & governor.  In Pennsylvania’s Dr. Oz/John Fetterman U.S. Senate race, younger voters supported Fetterman 70% to 28%.   In Arizona’s Senate race, they backed Mark Kelly over election denier Blake Masters, 76% to 20%.  Data shows that youth turnout was critical to the outcomes of races nationwide. 

More details on how youth voters of color voted, and what legislation we can expect from state legislatures to suppress youth voting in our next report.

We have links to articles and resources at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org  For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.