Gen Z & Election 2020

As such, they are more connected to the internet and technology than previous generations and have a wealth of knowledge at their disposal. This is the generation which is set to become the leaders of the nation in the near future, and their passion is unmistakable when it comes to national issues. But who are they as voters? More importantly, why did they care so much about this election in particular?

According to a study done by Politico, Gen Z kids are just as likely to register as Democrats as any other registered voter, with approximately 39% being registered blue. Interestingly though, approximately 16% less of this generation are registered Republicans than the overall population, coming in at just 20% of Gen Z being registered red. The remaining members of the generation all preferred to register as Independents. However, in terms of what they actually do at the voting booth, regardless of party affiliation, Gen Z kids are overwhelmingly voting blue.

The Pew Research Center reports that 61% of Gen Z kids were planning to vote blue as of this past January, however they clarify that this is not largely out of a particular love for Joe Biden. Indeed, the data shows that, of those who were planning to vote blue, nearly half said they were voting against Donald Trump, rather than for Joe Biden.

The latter point about environmental justice was a shared sentiment by another Northeastern student, who preferred to remain anonymous, saying, “I want the country to move toward a path of sustainability and humanity, prioritizing our environment and citizens over mere profit.” This is not surprising given studies into Gen Z as a whole. Indeed, it seems that a majority of the generation believes in man-made climate change. These issues, combined with ongoing discussions around racial politics and injustice are by far the largest motivators for liberal Gen Z voters.

she said in reference to the outcome of the election. Cadet Scott expressed a sentiment shared by many republican voters in general. Only 16% of them have a favorable view of socialism and “big government” policies in general, and the data about the youngest members of society are more inconclusive.

There is a lot of conflicting evidence on the opinion of socialism by Gen Z. On the one hand, a 2018 Gallup poll found that about 51% of adults aged 18-29 viewed socialism positively while a Market Research Foundation poll of the same demographic reports values of just 40% favorability. Whatever the case, it seems that the variation comes mostly from independent and liberal members of the generation, their republican counterparts are more or less clear on this front.

After getting the chance to speak to members of both sides of my generation, I have only been able to come to a single conclusion: Gen Z is an anomaly. In the age of the internet, smartphones, and TikTok they are quick to spread information, both accurate and false, and are even faster to absorb and interpret it. They are fiercely intelligent and passionate about the issues that matter to them, no matter what those are. In the aftermath of an election that shook the nation to its core, I choose to believe that how we handle this as a nation going forward will rest largely on the shoulders of its youngest voters, whose voice is growing louder by the day.