AUSTIN (KXAN)— Parties at a sports bar, speakeasy and on a college campus are where some Gen Z voters in Austin will be watching the first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
There’s been an apparent shift, as these parties in the past have been more commonly organized by older voters from affiliated political parties. While groups like the Travis County GOP are still gathering, new groups are gaining more traction as anticipation builds ahead of the November Election.
Some places where Gen Z will be watching include:
- Busy Signal speakeasy, inside Victory East Restaurant: 1104 E 11th St, Austin, TX 78702
- Victory Lap, a sports bar near the University of Texas at Austin Campus: 504 W 24th St, Austin, TX 78705
- UT Moody College: Dealey Media Center, room 1.202: 300 W Dean Keeton St, Austin, TX 78712
There are new voters in Austin who weren’t old enough to cast a ballot in the last presidential election who will be doing so for the first time in a couple of months.
The community group, Young Black Austin, in partnership with Victory East, will be hosting the party at Busy Signal.
Destiny Brown with the group said they’ll even have members there helping people check their voter registration status.
“It is a space, I see as a way, as dismantling what people say about young people,” Brown said. “They’re like, ‘Oh, young people, we don’t get involved, we don’t vote, we don’t do that.’ We do, and we care.”
Victory Lap posted a promotion flier to Instagram with a caption saying it’ll have “all the drinks you’ll need for this.”
“It’s a something that a lot of people are taking a lot of interest in, so wanted to use the venue for that,” Matt Wolski, the General Manger of Victory Lap said.
Students from UT’s Moody College are incentivizing its fellow young voters to come to their watch party, planning to give out free food and even have debate-themed bingo. The students who helped organize the event said around 200 of their peers RSVP’d.
“While we’ve grown up, we’ve seen a lot of things that have changed in our policies and the way that we live happening currently in our generation,” Tisha Chaudhuri, a UT Austin student said.
UT Austin student Sofia Westmoreland said there’s been a lot engagement in general, throughout campus.
“I’ve seen a lot of people across campus, especially going into classrooms, be really excited about this election,” Westmoreland said.
All of this comes as recent NBC Gen Z survey results show 88% of voters between ages 18 to 29 say they do plan to vote in this presidential election.
“Coming from somebody that’s going to be a first time voter in a national election, it’s a huge deal. And to see our peers come together and watch the debate together is super exciting,” Adelaide Escott, a UT Austin student said.