As the 2024 presidential election approaches, a new generation of voters is preparing to make their voices heard for the first time. Social and economic issues are driving their decision-making, according to interviews with newly eligible voters as well as political researchers.
For Sonja Aibel, who will turn 18 this month, abortion access, climate change and gun violence are among the concerns she’ll have top-of-mind when she heads to the polls.
“I’m hoping to hear presidential and local candidates really address the concerns of young people,” said Aibel, who lives in Brooklyn.
WNYC’s Community Partnerships Desk spoke with Aibel and other Gen Zers who are gearing up to vote in their first presidential election. The interviews were done in collaboration with YVote, a New York City-based nonprofit that describes itself as “motivating and equipping youth to create change at and beyond the ballot box.”
Gen Z – people born between 1997 and 2012 – represents a growing force in American politics, with an estimated 41 million of its members eligible to vote this November, including about 8 million who are coming of age to vote in their first election.
Climate change and gun violence are key concerns for people aged 18 to 34, according to a survey by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, also known as CIRCLE, at Tufts University. The young voters WNYC spoke with also said misinformation and political polarization are major deciding issues.
However, CIRCLE spokesperson Alberto Medina said that inflation, the cost of living, and job wages are “far and away” the top issues for young voters in the 2024 presidential election.
“It’s really interesting because those social issues, like climate and gun violence, get a lot of attention because young people have been so active in leading some of those movements,” Medina said. “But, as with older voters, the economic issues affecting the entire country are also top of mind for youth.”
Medina said young people concerned with issues such as gun violence and reproductive rights are more likely to vote compared to those focused on economic issues. He said that’s attributable to candidates’ tendency to address social issues more frequently than economic concerns when engaging with young voters.
The CIRCLE survey highlights the need for greater outreach, showing that at the end of 2023, only 19% of youth reported having heard information about politics and issues from a candidate or campaign, whether off- or online.
“It’s a long standing issue … that they do get less outreach, partly because they’re new to the electorate. Many of them are not registered to vote yet. So they’re not on those lists,” Medina said.
The young voters WNYC spoke with expressed a strong desire for clearer, more reliable information, noting that the internet and social media are flooded with misinformation and disinformation.
“What matters to me, at least for my first time voting, is getting proper information rather than memes,” said Brooklyn resident Shreeya Thakur, who turns 18 this month.
Here’s more of what Gen Z New Yorkers shared about their priorities, what they want from candidates, and their hopes for the future of democracy.
Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Ma-Sadio Faye, 19, from Harlem, Manhattan
“I initially registered as an independent and as a result that meant that I couldn’t vote in primaries. I changed my party registration two weeks ago to being a Democrat. However, I still very much regard myself as an independent. This being my first presidential election, I feel better now that Kamala [Harris] is the nominee for the Democratic party, but I still feel like there’s a lot of work to be done. … I’m very concerned about misinformation in the election and the lead up to that and also disinformation. I feel like they kind of go hand in hand. I don’t feel like a lot of people who circulate misinformation on the internet are doing it knowingly, but I do feel like it’s a bit disingenuous. I feel like a lot of people, they just kind of want to believe in something. So if they see something affirming their beliefs, they’re just going to spread it because to them that’s their confirmation.”
Emmanuel Annan Jr., 18, from East New York, Brooklyn
“We’re still in a time where rights are being lost. People are still fearing for their lives, and we’re still in a time where people take things for granted. I do hope that people in general are less polarized. … In general, if you guys have differing opposing beliefs, then I do hope that we can kind of sit down and not end friendships. … My mom’s side is from the Deep South, and voting is important to me. Looking at our ancestry, it’d be quite a slap to the face not to vote, especially since we have done so much to get the rights to vote, and it’s your time to speak up and voice your opinion. Like, ‘Hey, I don’t like what’s happening here,’ or suggest a new candidate.”
Sonja Aibel, 17 (turning 18 in September), from Park Slope, Brooklyn
“I’m hoping to hear presidential candidates and local candidates really address the concerns of young people. I think there are a lot of issues that really matter to me and my peers when we think about this November election, and I think that includes reproductive justice and abortion access, climate change and gun violence, because all those issues really impact young people acutely. And I think it’s something that’s important to us when we’re looking at the candidates on the ballot.”
Shreeya Thakur, 17 (turning 18 in September), from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn
“What matters to me, at least for my first time voting, is getting proper information rather than memes. Kamala Harris was recently put in Joe Biden’s place and despite focusing more on her accomplishments or downfalls or weaknesses, many of the younger generation have been rooting for her for one simple reason, and that’s because she’s trending. … I’m an independent voter as of now, and I’m planning on remaining as such. I don’t care which party wins. I just hope that they’re not sitting in the White House and then being like, ‘Now what?’”
Mukilan Muthukumar, 18, from the Upper East Side, Manhattan
“I think for me, environmental justice and economic mobility matter the most to me. … What I expect and want to hear from candidates and elected officials is a real interest in representing young people and taking into account the issues and concerns that they have. I think some of the elected officials praise our work and like to praise the fact that there are young people involved in this work. But they don’t actually pay attention to the policy recommendations or show any real interest in hearing us and trying to work with us.”