The Gen Z Super Power and the 2024 Election

Like many of you, the Hoosiers for Democracy team is experiencing a new sense of hopefulness about the upcoming election, resulting from the recent surge in excitement, donations, and volunteers in Indiana and across the country. Much of this surge is occurring among the younger voter population, but if past trends continue, Indiana likely still has a problem engaging younger voters. Despite some progress being made nationally towards increasing younger voter turnout in the 2020 general and 2022 midterm elections, data suggests that Hoosiers still have a lot of work to do in encouraging youth and young adults about the potential impacts of voting and civic engagement on their own futures and on the lives of future generations.

We believe Hoosiers have reason to hope that many previously disenfranchised younger voters are not only ready, but actually excited about participating in the 2024 election. One of our volunteers recently shared that her nephew, a recent college graduate, made his first campaign donation ever after Kamala Harris emerged as the Democratic nominee for president, and her son-in-law registered to vote and will be a first time voter this fall. These stories and others like them may be anecdotal, but that does not lessen the energy and excitement we are seeing among young Hoosiers for what might be possible in November. It is our hope that we can all work together to assure them that their voices are important, and their votes are far more powerful than they might think.

Did You Know:

• Indiana voter participation is consistently among the lowest in the nation. In 2020, Indiana ranked 46th among all U.S. states for eligible voters of all ages who voted.

• More specifically related to young voter participation, we ranked 44^th for the percentage of eligible 18-24 year olds who were registered to vote and 43rd for the percentage of 18-24 year olds who voted in 2020.

• Only 48 percent of eligible 18-24 year olds in Indiana were registered to vote in 2020, and only 39 percent voted. In contrast, 87 percent of eligible 18-24 year olds in New Jersey were registered, and 75 percent voted.

It is true that, historically, younger voters are less likely to vote in U.S. elections than other age groups, but this is particularly true in Indiana. There are many varied and valid reasons for this. Experts tell us that young voters are passionate about issues that impact them, yet many are disillusioned with the democratic process. This is particularly true in black and multi-racial communities and among young people who did not attend college.

Another issue that compounds this problem is that younger voters are often the targets of Republican-led voter suppression efforts. The supermajority in the Indiana General Assembly has enacted laws in recent years making it more difficult for mobile young adults and college students to register and vote from their short term university homes, further alienating younger voters.

Why It Matters:

In the 2020 Presidential election, Indiana voters cast more votes for Donald Trump than Joe Biden by approximately 487,000 votes. Currently, Indiana has about 500,000+ eligible 18–24 year olds who are not currently registered to vote. Elections are won at the margins. Gen Zers have an opportunity to absolutely impact the 2024 election—up and down the Hoosier ballot.

Beyond the 2024 election, Gen Z’s diverse younger voter participation is an essential part of growing the vibrant, thriving democracy we all seek. According to the Tuft’s University Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), “when young people are politically engaged earlier in life, they are more likely to remain engaged in the future and to be part of an electorate that is more representative of the country.”

What You Can Do:

Recent changes in the U.S. presidential race have reenergized Hoosiers to get involved and participate in this election. This change seems to be particularly prevalent among Gen Z. Our team developed younger voter registration materials with the plan of working with community volunteers like you to distribute these materials in locations with high concentrations of eligible young voters including universities, high schools, sporting events, festivals, music venues, community organizations, and local businesses to ensure younger voters register and commit to voting in November.

We are calling for 60 days of action to register as many younger voters as possible prior to the October 7^th voter registration deadline. Our goals include:

• Distributing our Voting is Your Super Power QR code flyers, promo cards, cell phone decals, and stickers in communities across the state to help register 25,000 younger voters.

• Asking each of those 25,000 to commit to helping 5 of their friends register and commit to voting, creating a snowball effect.

• Displaying our Voting is Your Super Power QR code flyers and signs at 200 events, venues or businesses in target districts where younger voters gather.

  

How you can help with these goals:

1. Donate. Make a donation to help fund the cost of printing flyers, cards, cell phone decals, stickers, yard signs, t-shirts, etc. If you are interested in donating, you can also contact us at hoosiers4democracy@gmail.com.

2. Volunteer. Use your connections in your community to find ways to reach out to younger voters to encourage them to register by the October 7th deadline and vote in November. Request Voting is Your Super Power materials here to distribute at high schools, universities, local businesses, events, and venues in your community or another one of our target districts. We provide the materials and encourage volunteers to be strategic and creative about planning distribution activities that will have the greatest impact towards registering younger voters in your community.

3. Share this post with others who might be interested in donating and volunteering over the next 60 days. 

4. If you have ideas about locations, venues, or events in your community where we can reach large numbers of younger voters over the next 60 days, please contact Hoosiers for Democracy at hoosiers4democracy@gmail.com and let us know. We welcome your input!

Together we can do this. 

Register. Vote. Rise.