Poll: Gen Z more likely to vote in midterms than older generations

Gen Z voters plan to take part in the upcoming midterms at a rate not seen amongst earlier generations, as a per a new ballot released by Harvard.

“Forty percent (40%) of young Americans report that they will ‘definitely’ vote in the upcoming midterms, matching the proportion of young Americans who said the same in the IOP’s fall 2018 survey,” the ballot found.

This fall’s ballot shows that Gen Z’s enthusiasm to vote is greater than Millennials, Gen Xers or Baby Boomers. According to the ballot, younger voters in states like Pennsylvania and Ohio usually tend to take part within the midterms than 18–29-year-olds voters in states such as Massachusetts and Wyoming.

“Young Americans under 30 who live in battleground states (45%) are more likely to vote than those from traditional red (33%) or blue states (40%); this cycle’s battleground state residents are also more likely to vote than those from similar states in 2018 (38%),” the ballot added.

The poll found that younger votes are also more likely to favor Democrat candidates by a “nearly two-to-one margin.”

John Della Volpe, who is director of polling on the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics predicts a high turnout of younger voters.

“I don’t know if we’re going to see a red wave, I don’t know if we’re going to see a blue wave, but what I do know…is that we will see a Gen Z wave,” Della Volpe said.

“Since spring 2022 Harvard IOP Polling, the advantage for Democrats has increased 5 points overall (from +21 in spring to +26 in fall) – much of which is driven by heightened support from young women and college students,” pollsters said.

Over 70% of the 2000+ younger adults polled between September 29th and October 14th, consider the people’s rights are under assault.

“Across every major cohort of young Americans, a majority agree that their rights – and the rights of other Americans – are under attack in the country today. Members of the LGBTQ community feel the most pressure, as 72% are concerned about their own individual rights. While 63% of women agree their rights are under attack compared to 55% of men, a similar proportion of women (73%) and men (72%) agree that the rights of others are under attack today,” pollsters said.