Young Americans are one of the largest groups in the country’s electorate, but they are also the least likely to turn out to vote. 

From 2014 to 2022, Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 had a voter turnout average of about 30%, according to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. Brian J Gaines, Political Science professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said young Americans have historically had very low voting turnout. He said they are usually not at points in their lives where voting is seen as being very important. 

“Younger people have had less time to develop a habit of voting as a normal, routine behavior,” Gaines said. “They are not yet parents with kids in local schools, and they are often less committed to backing one party in particular. Since they are less connected to their communities, they have fewer interests in the policy matters at stake.”

Junior Kerra Lindbloom, member of Rock Bridge Reaches Out, said it is necessary to get more young people voting, as their participation will create a healthier and more responsive democracy. She said young people are often reluctant to vote because they do not feel it will have any impact.

“We are bombarded and exposed to so much information on how the world is on fire, and everything is horrible, and the very people who voters elected to fix these things aren’t doing enough. Scandals, partisan gridlock, and inaction breed apathy in the political process that feels increasingly overwhelming and inaccessible,” Lindbloom said. “The daunting complexity of navigating voter registration to understanding ballot measures and researching candidates, coupled with perceived minimal positive outcomes, discourages voters from engaging.”

Additionally, senior Kyle Kudrna, member of the RBHS Young Republicans, said it is important for young Americans to start building voting habits now, as it will create strong voter turnouts in the future. He said he thinks those in power often fail to explain the value of voting to young people. 

“I believe younger Americans are less likely to vote because the importance of the task is not necessarily portrayed the best in school, nor catered to us in political advertising,” Kudrna said. “If politicians took the time to go out and speak [to] clubs like the Young Republicans and Young Democrats, or other sorts of optional meetings, then younger voters would be more attracted to the impact that could be made by voting.” 

While both Democrats and Republicans have initiatives to increase youth voting, Gaines said these efforts are largely just intended to help the parties and not increase overall voter turnout.

“Politicians have a clear interest in getting their own supporters to vote, but not necessarily in getting everyone to vote. In a competitive two-party system, Republicans and Democrats will generally try to mobilize different segments of the young population,” Gaines said. “Democrats try to mobilize college-educated youth, while Republicans try to mobilize non-college-educated youth. This leaves both types of young people feeling like politicians don’t really care about them, which just adds to their voting apathy.”

Linbloom said young Americans often only care about things that affect them in the present, and they often fail to vote on issues that will be important in the long term. She said it is especially important for young people to vote now, as the decisions made by politicians today will have long-lasting effects on people’s futures. 

“Youth voter turnout ensures that the voices and concerns of younger generations are heard, especially with policies directly impacting education, climate change, healthcare and student debt that affect their lives and futures,” Linbloom said. “Encouraging open dialogue about politics, even amidst differing opinions, enables young voters and students to dismantle political echo chambers and cultivate well-informed perspectives.”

What do you think makes young people less likely to vote? Let us know in the comments below.