When it comes down to the ballots, Gen Z does not mess around. The 2020 election is just around the corner and young voters might change things— for better or for worse.
In a study done by Pew Research Center, only about 30% of Gen Z voters approve of Trump and his administration, a 13% difference from Baby Boomers, which counts up to 43%. Another 2016 study conducted by the same research center shows that each generation becomes more and more liberal.
A separate study done by HuffPost shows that 83% of black people vote Democrat, with 70% Latinx folk also voting Democrat.
“In the United States, the white share of the population is declining as Hispanic, Asian, and black populations grow. But the shift to a more diverse nation is happening more quickly in some places than in others,” says Jens Manuel Krogstand in an article with Pew Research reflecting the demographic shift in American cities.
In an American society that is slowly becoming more diverse as the years go on, this could signify a major drop in Republican votes.
Both presidential candidates Trump and Biden highlighted the importance of voting, to which the current issues plaguing America further enforced that motion. With the Black Lives Matter protests, and COVID cases still being an issue, many have found their only weapon of defense to be a voting ballot.
“In the 2020 environment, it’s easy to give up and believe that your doesn’t matter, that it won’t make a change,” says Jacob Merkle, a representative of When We All Vote. “These kids don’t realize how powerful they are, how their words affect others.”
“I see it in the kids I work with, Gen Z is ready to take over the world and make a change,” continues Merkle. “The hardest part of it all is getting started.”
A president represents all of the U.S., and many feel like a change is needed as to who they can truly call a leader.
Regardless of ideals and beliefs, there is a galvanizing movement encouraging young people to vote. Knowingly, Gen Z will lead the future — and so, their votes matter just as much as anyone else would. Groups such as When We All Vote have begun gathering kids and educating thousands, and social media has helped this movement spread.
Gen Z communicates through social media, it is the one thing they all share besides COVID experiences. Through social media, the cruciality of voting illuminates. Quick videos on TikTok are spreading the word — and educational videos on platforms such as Facebook and YouTube are also making rounds. Without social media, the big wave of voter education would not be the same.
“Social media is a double-edged sword. It’s scary how so much information gets put out, and all that leads to frustration. Yet with social media, it connects people. Social media has carried the voting activism and young leaders use these platforms to further evolve the movement. It’s never too early to make a difference,” assures Merkle.
COVID-19 has altered the entirety of election season. It is becoming more and more difficult to go out and vote, but Gen Z doesn’t seem to be letting anything stop them. Whether it is online ballots or in-person voting, one thing is guaranteed: a revolution is on the horizon.
