Youth Engagement in Campaigns
Why young voters participate less, how campaigns are adapting, and the movements that have successfully mobilized youth.
The Persistent Youth Turnout Gap
In virtually every democracy, young voters turn out at lower rates than older voters. In the 2020 US election, turnout among 18-29 year olds was roughly 50%, compared to 76% among those over 65. This gap is not about apathy; research shows young people care about political issues as much as older voters. The gap is about barriers and habits.
Young people move more frequently (complicating registration), have less predictable schedules (making it harder to get to polls), and have not yet developed the voting habit that becomes routine in middle age. They are also less likely to be contacted by campaigns, which target reliable voters, creating a self-reinforcing cycle: campaigns ignore young voters because they do not vote, and young voters do not vote partly because campaigns ignore them.
