Millennials want change, so why aren't they voting?

[question everything]

Young people could change this country. They have the numbers. In 2016, Americans aged 18 to 35 were roughly 31% of the U.S. electorate — same as the powerful Baby Boom generation. Only, the younger voters’ percentage is on the rise while the boomers’ is declining because of mortality. By now, millennials (ages 23 to 38) could be the largest cohort in American politics.

They are, by a long shot, the most liberal and racially diverse of the age groups eligible to vote. By substantial margins, they’re more likely to favor universal healthcare, climate action, diplomacy over military might, abortion rights, and to say that immigrants strengthen America, according to the Pew Research Center. But they’re not changing the country. Not enough. That’s largely because, for all their potential power, they aren’t voting — at least in substantial numbers.

The dismaying fact is that on Super Tuesday, despite the heavy stakes affecting their future, younger voters didn’t show up. In Virginia, for example, where overall voting surged 62% over four years ago, the share of young voters declined to 13%, three points less than in 2016. The young cohort’s standard-bearer, Sen. Bernie Sanders, won 55% of those young voters. But former Vice President Joe Biden took the state, commandingly. It was the same in North Carolina. Young voters were 14% of the electorate on Super Tuesday, compared to 16% four years ago. In Tennessee, 11% compared to 15%.

(snip)

One young woman told National Public Radio that she works several jobs and goes to school but in Washington, voting is almost all by mail. She suggested making Election Day a holiday. Another said there should be “an incentive to come to the polls to vote.” She suggested doughnuts.

What kind of breakdown in civics education produces young adults who think that voting is some kind of favor they do for someone else, like participating in a product survey, and that they should get a little something in return?

FROM AN EDITORIAL IN THE PALM BEACH POST

http://www.startribune.com/millennials-want-change-so-why-aren-t-they-voting/568752802/

[George II]

1. It's too much like work. Even AOC recognized that in her comments after her Fox appearance.

[brush]

56. Millennials are Sanders' alleged base. What a huge miscalculation...

along with thinking enough voters would vote for a socialist. Poor judgment for sure.

It's nothing new that young voters don't vote heavily. Why doesn't Sanders know that?

Good thing we picked Biden.

[betsuni]

61. He really believes he's the first and only one with an economic equality message and the reason

more people, especially young people, don't vote is because the two parties are the same except for "identity politics," that when there's finally a true progressive fighting for the working class, they'll flock to the polls. Where he got this bizarre notion, who knows, but it's permanently stuck in his head. Huge miscalculation as usual. The only possible conclusion for this not happening is rigging.

[question everything]

72. Knowing, as we've seen in this thread, that the young do not rush to vote, his followers should

have put extra efforts to find and to convince them.

Except, both Sanders and Warren have been so sure about their message that any attempts to broaden it has not occurred to them or they just dismisses it.

If there is one thing we learned from 2016 is not to take anything for granted. Never mind the polls.

[Just_Vote_Dem]

2. WTF

Another said there should be “an incentive to come to the polls to vote.” She suggested doughnuts.

[Turin_C3PO]

3. Young people never vote.

It’s certainly nothing new. The boomer youth failed to turn out for McGovern in ‘72, leading to Nixon’s re-election. As millennials and generation Z get older, they’ll start voting.

[question everything]

8. One would think, though, that these days with "Social media" they would know better

What is at stake, the issues that should affect them personally.

[Turin_C3PO]

14. They should but they don't.

They will though and when they do, conservatives will have trouble ever coming to power again. Studies show that older millennials have NOT become more conservative as they approach their forties. Bad news for Republicans.

[question everything]

55. Probably leave ideologies behind.

Will realize that to pursue them one needs, first, to gain power and you don’t do this by bloody revolutions

[Rebl2]

44. As soon

as I could vote back in the late 70’s I voted and have voted in every Presidential election (as well as others) ever since. I just think many young people don’t understand the consequences of not voting. Face it there a lot of older adults don’t bother either.

[Turin_C3PO]

13. Quit bashing young people.

Yes, they don’t vote and NEVER have. It’s not a new phenomenon at all. It’s certainly not related to them wanting free college or a lack of hunger.

[Vivienne235729]

17. No. They just don't have experience to draw from when making their decisions.

They act like....young people. A little irresponsible at times. And eventually, their brains will catch up bc life will happen. We just need to help them along.

[AlexSFCA]

18. ok, maybe we can just blame their parents

who didn’t teach them to vote like your life depends on it

[Vivienne235729]

21. Don't you have kids? If you do, you would know that sometimes we teach our kids one thing...

And they go do another. You can't always blame the parents. Don't get me wrong. Sometimes you can blame the parents. bc I have seen some messed up kids who came from messed up parents. I may have soft spot for kids bc I see so many that have been short changed by their parents. It's heartbreaking. They weren't given tools to survive much less taught the importance of something like voting. It takes a village. And I try to educate as much as I can.

[AlexSFCA]

24. I sure

If I learn my kid didn’t vote, there will be a very serious discussion and loss of certain privileges. Not of voting age yet but one day. Young people who do not vote are irresponsible. Simple as that.

[Vivienne235729]

26. Of course. Our kids are TAUGHT. There are a whole lotta kids out there that are not, though

They are left to practically die on their own. We should be reaching out and educating them. Not pointing fingers is all I am saying.

[Loki Liesmith]

29. By the time your kid can vote

What privileges can you possibly revoke?

[LizBeth]

41. My kids went with dad and I for every vote. We are vocal in our house with politics and

current events. They are well informed. I am assuming they vote but not something I ask. That is their decision. I did all the work and example. They have gotten mail in, but I do not know that they got around to mailing it out. I leave them be. Not mine to sit down grown "kids" and have that conversation. They have been a lifetime having these conversations.

[whathehell]

27. I would bet everyone here with kids (or not) votes. n/t

[Vivienne235729]

34. For sure. In fact, I talk to my daughter about all things politics. And she sees me voting.

And how we go down to the registrar's office to check on our voting statuses for myself and for grandma. We marched in the Women's March. The Science Matters march. The people for humane treatment on the border march. We went to see Michelle Obama in person (She's like a ROCK STAR!!). I know we are in the minority. But I am hoping to get more kids into the fold to educate them early on.

[question everything]

54. I think that this is what happened in 1968

After all the riots in Chicago after all the Vietnam protests many - probably most of them young people - stayed home and we got Nison.

[Skittles]

30. oh what a load of NONSENSE

you're why the OK BOOMER meme came about

[Chellee]

42. LOL! Thank you.

Ladies and Gentleman, Skittles. Kicking ass, and taking names since 2001.

[ismnotwasm]

43. +infinity

[Turin_C3PO]

47. Thank you, Skittles!

I’m tired of my generation getting unfairly maligned.

[Celerity]

49. [phone]

[sop]

5. They've been accustomed to receiving Participation Trophies

[Turin_C3PO]

15. Once again,

this is not a new phenomenon. Boomers didn’t show up to vote either when they were young. Quit bashing our youth!

[AlexSFCA]

23. but conservative youth votes

[Turin_C3PO]

25. Not really.

Youth vote trends significantly Democratic. Once they do get their shit together, get older, and vote more regularly, Republican’s will be an endangered species.

[PETRUS]

38. Thanks for standing up for younger people.

I'm far from young, so I'm not taking the critical comments personally (and I'm also one of those weirdos who starting voting as soon as I was eligible), but I still appreciate your observations that low turnout among younger people is nothing new. Truth is important.

[defacto7]

6. They're the Eloi

The GOP are the future Morlocks.

[a kennedy]

7. They love rallies.......so why don't they get in to the booth AND VOTE.??

We need new blood to VOTE.

[whathehell]

28. I guess we need to make voting more "exciting" for them

[WhiskeyGrinder]

9. Millennials volunteer at a higher rate than other generations; I think many of them feel that

volunteering is a more effective way to get change, or it's more satisfying, than voting.

[Drunken Irishman]

10. I am young. Work. And have never missed an election.

[Codeine]

11. It's all like, hard 'n stuff.

Donuts at the polls? What the actual fuck?!

Voting is your fucking JOB! It’s the one single responsibility with which every American is charged. Motherfuckers died horribly trying to to make sure we all share this sacred franchise and some spoiled child needs a special treat to convince them to get off their dead ass and make a mark on a ballot?

“An incentive to come to the polls and vote” my ass.

[JackSabbath]

46. No kidding

The incentive is a government that better reflects our needs and thus a better life for the governed. How is this hard for some people to understand ?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

12. Lotta people being assholes on this thread.

[jberryhill]

53. Yep

I should just keep my “structural barriers to young people voting” posts bookmarked for reference, but I’ve come to realize that a lot of people my age are really just self centered assholes who don’t even want to understand the reasons behind things they don’t understand.

[McKim]

16. Bashing Will Not Bring them to Biden's Side!

Bashing young people will not bring them to Biden’s side for the general election. We must stop this to WIN!!!!! I am proud of my Latino former students for getting involved in politics, says this retired Migrant Teacher!

[kevink077]

39. What is said on posts should not matter..

If they don’t vote because someone was a big meanie on the internet, they are worse than I thought. They all need a safe space for their tantrum...

[Beartracks]

19. What's the "incentive"?!

Wow.

========

[showblue22]

20. They're too busy having fun.

That's the truth. Remember when you were young? It was more important to be out socializing and having fun.

[relayerbob]

22. Rallies are deceptive

People get excited because 10,000 people show up for an event. In a city like Atlanta of 4.6 million people, that's trivial (0.2%) Nearly unknown musicians can fill up the Fox with 3500. Meanwhile, the other 99.8% of the population goes about their business. On election day, a whole bunch of people show up who only have looked at the candidates at the last minute. Most go with what they've always done, or who they've heard some random talk about. You hear, yeah this guy wants a revolution but this other guy is boring, whatever, we need boring right now. Meanwhile, young people do what they have ALWAYS done - anything else.

The excitement of rallies is fine, but doesn't give anything near a true feel for who likes a candidate in the overall election.

I wish Nixon hadn't gone and spoiled the phrase "silent majority", because in fact, that exists, even in an online world. They have spoken loudly and clearly so far

[customerserviceguy]

31. Voting requires effort

You have to register, figure out where the polling place is, maybe stand in line for some time, etc.

Millennials have been raised on an instant gratification system that seldom takes longer than a few seconds to get what they want through their smartphones.

[Turin_C3PO]

40. It has nothing to do with

“Instant gratification”. Youth NEVER VOTE. The Boomers didn’t in ‘72 and the millennials didn’t in 2016. It’s just an unfortunate fact of life. Like previous generations, they’ll vote with more regularity as they get older. Too much stereotyping in this thread.

[Celerity]

57. As a person born basically on the cusp of the Millennial/Gen Z divide

(What is called a Zennial or a Zillennial) I find this thread to be a right proper bash if anyone under 40 (the oldest Millennials turn 40 in January 2021). I also think the youngest Millennials and oldest Gen Zers get a tonne of shite and stereotyping from the worst aspects of the core of those 2 gens, especially the earliest 40%, 50% of the Millennials. I have about as much in common with a 39yo Millenial as I do a 43yo Gen Xer, maybe a bit more, but certainly not a vast difference.

[Politicub]

32. It has sadly always been thus

And I have no idea why.

[Skittles]

33. alas, they are behaving like all younger generations have

I wish they would break the mold though, their input is REALLY NEEDED NOW...I feel it is CRITICAL

[Grokenstein]

35. Plenty of older cosplay-radicals informing them that it doesn't matter.

Ben Passmore here places more importance on trolling wypipo than voting the primary, because that will accomplish something. Both side equal bad, yo!

https://thenib.com/identity-crisis-biden-bernie/

[Thomas Hurt]

36. Get them a secure phone app they will be all over it.

[SMC22307]

37. Doughnuts? FFS.

I really don't understand what's going on in this country.

[Dopers_Greed]

45. From my view, it's a vicious cycle

People complain how "hard" it is to vote. They do have a point, as voting should be more accessible, and repuke voter suppression is rampant.

But millennials pick up on this, and start subconsciously believing "Oh it's too hard to vote, why put in the effort." Then election day comes, and their registration is expired, or they don't know which address they registered at.

[Pobeka]

48. Vietnam got that generation active. Seeing your friends go off to die wakes you up.

Young people today have no real equivalent, maybe gun violence. They take all this culture and opportunity for granted, and can't see how it's slipping out of their hands one tiny bit at a time because of not voting.

[question everything]

58. And yet many stayed home in 1968

[treestar]

70. And how the age got lowered to 18, because

they should be able to vote if they could be drafted to risk their lives in a war.

But then it didn't seem to work out if they didn't vote anyway.

[DonCoquixote]

50. do keep in mind

there are more barriers to milannials voting, like the fact they have to work two jobs and they do not often have access to the id that states need.

[rainy]

51. A lot of them are college students and they cant

vote in their college state are not home to vote in home state. They could probably use mail in votes but that is not like going to a local place and casting a vote.

[polichick]

52. Civics classes were dropped before this cohort reached high school.

[zackymilly]

59. The youth love to come out and party at rallies, but they don't like to go into voting booths alone.

Maybe they should have the newest video games playing at the polls to get them to come out.

[Yavin4]

60. There's a difference between a "movement" and a "following"

A "movement" requires constant active participation in every election cycle for multiple candidates across the country, local, state, and federal. It's not dependent on one person.

A "following" only requires minimal participation. A like of a tweet. Going to a rally. A $5 donation. Listening to podcasts. Gives the illusion of active participation. It's dependent solely on one person. And no, knocking on doors during a primary or going to caucus does not meet the definition of active participation.

[Celerity]

62. What are the actual age cohorts being specifically discussed here in the article?

The play fast and loss with cohorts.

They have the numbers. In 2016, Americans aged 18 to 35 were roughly 31% of the U.S. electorate — same as the powerful Baby Boom generation. Only, the younger voters’ percentage is on the rise while the boomers’ is declining because of mortality. By now, millennials (ages 23 to 38) could be the largest cohort in American politics.

They are, by a long shot, the most liberal and racially diverse of the age groups eligible to vote. By substantial margins, they’re more likely to favor universal healthcare, climate action, diplomacy over military might, abortion rights, and to say that immigrants strengthen America, according to the Pew Research Center. But they’re not changing the country. Not enough.

That’s largely because, for all their potential power, they aren’t voting — at least in substantial numbers.

The dismaying fact is that on Super Tuesday, despite the heavy stakes affecting their future, younger voters didn’t show up. In Virginia, for example, where overall voting surged 62% over four years ago, the share of young voters declined to 13%, three points less than in 2016. The young cohort’s standard-bearer, Sen. Bernie Sanders, won 55% of those young voters. But former Vice President Joe Biden took the state, commandingly.

It was the same in North Carolina. Young voters were 14% of the electorate on Super Tuesday, compared to 16% four years ago. In Tennessee, 11% compared to 15%.

snip


What do they mean by 'YOUNGER VOTERS'?

All Millennials and only Millennials?
or
18-29?
or
18-35?
or
all under 45 year olds?

I have seen EVERY one of those 4 cohorts used hundreds of times to describe 'younger voters'.

Huge difference between the 18 to 29 age cohort, (which is only later 1990 on on born Millennials, Zennials, and early GenZ) versus all under 45yo's, which even includes the last true Gen X years and the Xennial aka Carter Babies micro gen (1977-1980-born.)

I wish they had been more specific, and it is also possible those different state polls themselves even have different meanings for 'young voters'.

[question everything]

73. On election day 1996, the local paper searched for the "man in the street" opinions

A young college kid said that he did not vote. What was his major? Political Science. Wonder what they teach in Political Science classes.

[Celerity]

74. Okay, but what does that have to do with my questions, which were of an empirical nature, not

a normative one?

If there is some oblique point you are trying to make, I must confess it does indeed elude me at this particular point in time.

[TheFarseer]

63. She should have been alive in the 1870s

When I’m told people would pay you to go vote. Donuts are fattening though and maybe you have a gluten thing. What about a dollar off Chipotle coupon? Chipotle could sponsor the election. We can sell naming rights for the voting booths and have a big wheel you can spin for a chance to make your vote count twice. Second prize could be a donut.

[mvd]

64. I don't know, but demographics will still be changing

Maybe Generation Z will be more active. The changes are why I am optimistic that Sanders’s vision will become closer to reality. Even now Medicare For All has majority support even in states where Sanders is losing.

[quickesst]

65. sometimes....

.... the answers are simpler than some want them to be.

18 to 25 year olds - science knows why they don't vote
I will start my post with a statement.
There is no "blame" that can be assigned to anyone. It's just scientific fact.

I don't know why so many people have a hard time understanding why young people love rallies which are emotionally stimulating, but do not show up to vote which is, quite frankly, kind of boring, and a lot of the time, requires patience . Science.

************
Snip:
"It doesn’t matter how smart teens are or how well they scored on the SAT or ACT. Good judgment isn’t something they can excel in, at least not yet.

The rational part of a teen’s brain isn’t fully developed and won’t be until age 25 or so.

In fact, recent research has found that adult and teen brains work differently. Adults think with the prefrontal cortex, the brain’s rational part. This is the part of the brain that responds to situations with good judgment and an awareness of long-term consequences. Teens process information with the amygdala. This is the emotional part."

More at:
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=3051

[world wide wally]

66. They want change, but they want us to do it for them

[MyNameGoesHere]

67. Because it takes a lot of effort to come up with

things like Boomer Remover. How the fuck can we expect them to vote And be so clever. Jeez don't be so mean.

[Tercules]

68. They keep looking for the Vote button on Sander's twitter account but can't find it.

[treestar]

69. I don't understand it

I voted every election since I was old enough to.

[betsuni]

71. Me too.

It wasn't my parents' influence for that, they were weirdly reluctant to talk about politics. You could put a gun to their heads and they wouldn't tell you who they voted for or why or if they even voted. I just assumed they voted, if they did, for Democrats. It wasn't until I was in my forties that my mother admitted she and my father had only voted for Republicans their whole lives. Because their mommy and daddy were Republicans.

The reason I was adamant about voting from the time I was old enough was my high school American history teacher, now that I think about it. It was my junior year, 1977, but he was stuck in the '50s: white shirt buttoned up to the top and pens in the pocket, huge worn-out leather shoes, a crew cut. I don't even remember his name. Thank you, Mr. crew cut, you did your job very well.