With this year’s upcoming election, it seems political candidates are targeting young voters more than ever, and research explains why. The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) found that in 2020, about 50% of 18-29 year olds voted in that election. For this upcoming election, CIRCLE found 57% of young voters are “extremely likely” to vote in the 2024 election, and 15% said they are “fairly likely.” It seems like young voters can really influence the outcome of this election.
Seniors like Jake Zagotta might be voting this year, simply because he says choosing a president is an important decision in which he wants to participate.
“I am pretty sure I will vote because I am able to do it now, and I think it’s good to be able to choose who we want as president. I feel that America will change more than ever depending on who’s elected president this year,” Zagotta said.
There some students who see it differently, such as junior Vanessa Valdes, who if she were old enough to vote claims she probably would not.
“Maybe [I would vote] for senators, but I personally don’t agree with either of the candidates. I think either way is not the best so in the end, it’s like the lesser of [two evils],” Valdes said.
In past elections candidates had their own ways to appeal to young voters such as when Hillary Cliton encouraged voters to “Pokémon Go to the polls” in 2016. Republican candidate Donald J. Trump and Democrat candidate Kamala Harris have taken to social media for their campaign.
Harris has 5.9 million followers on Tik Tok showcasing interviews and general campaign promises on topics such as small business and affordable housing. According to the Pew Research Center, 63% of teenagers have Tic Tok, making it the number one source for election information. At the Democratic National Committee, over 200 content creators were given front row seats among established media professionals.
Sophomore Kayla Jade Ochotorena is eager to vote when she’s old enough. Only having Tik Tok as a source of social media, she feels she has a good handle on candidates’ accounts.
“I do notice that the Democratic party takes the beliefs of the Republican party and displays the flaws of their points to raise the Democratic morale,” Ochotorena said.
One of Trump’s most direct social media platforms is on his X where he posts every couple of hours. His Tik Tok account sits at 11.7 million followers. Trump has also held podcasts with popular public figures such as billionaire Elon Musk and influencer Logan Paul.
The National Democratic Convention included celebrities such as Eva Longoria and P!NK among Democratic politicians in support of Harris and her VP Tim Walz. While at Trump’s own rallies, he was given open support by actor Zachary Levi and wrestler Hulk Hogan.
The more celebrity endorsements candidates become connected to the youth and pop culture. During Charli XCX’s ‘Brat Summer,’ a term that grew in popularity after Charli’s release of the album Brat in the June of 2024, she endorsed Kamala Harris by simply tweeting “kamala IS brat”.
“I’ve noticed both parties collaborating with celebrities such as Charli XCX endorsing Kamala Harris on Twitter and Trump doing a stream with Adin Ross. They seem to want to appeal to younger voters by doing things with people who are more familiar to them,” Zagotta said.