Since the last midterm elections in 2022, 8.3 million Americans between the ages of 18-19 have become newly eligible to vote in this year’s election.
Many young people voting for the first time this year have said this election carries a unique weight for them, beyond simply being their first-ever chance to cast a ballot.
Abortion motivating Gen Z voters at the polls
At the Monroe County early voting location Saturday on South Walnut Street, voters young and old queued up outside the door and along the sidewalk. Several college students were in line, waiting to vote for the first time.
Many of those young voters said the most pressing issue on their mind in this election was women’s rights, specifically the right to abortion.
In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, dissolving a nearly 50-year-old precedent that safeguarded national access to abortion. Since then, 13 states — including Indiana — have enacted near-total abortion bans. In Indiana, abortion is outlawed with slim exceptions in cases of rape up to 10 weeks postfertilization, or in cases of fetal anomaly or life-threatening risk to the mother up to 20 weeks postfertilization.
In the years since Roe’s overruling, abortion has become one of the most contentious topics in state and federal election debates.
Isaiah Tinsley, 21, attends IU online and lives in Bloomington. He voted because he wanted to have a “hand in history.” He said, in addition to LBGTQ+ rights, reproductive freedom was the issue on his mind when he cast his first-ever ballot this weekend.
“I have my mother, my sister — Roe v. Wade is something really important for me, especially just to have options for women and their bodies,” Tinsley said.
Another first-time voter, IU student Jacqueline Smith, 20, said she decided to vote because she was worried about the status of reproductive rights. With “a lot on the line” when it comes to women’s health, Smith said everyone should make sure to vote this year.
As one of the last days of early voting drew to a close, IU freshman Will Whitaker, 18, walked out of the polls with his mom Amanda and his friend freshman Zander Granquist, 18, in tow. When they stepped outside, Amanda had the boys pose for a photo with their “I Voted!” stickers.
The boys had just voted for the first time — and made it through the discomfort that comes with doing something unfamiliar. Granquist said as he looked down at his ballot, he was struck by the gravity of the situation. Will was worried he might fill something out wrong.
“Honestly, it felt a little scary,” Will said.
“Yeah, I was definitely nervous,” Granquist agreed, laughing.
Both freshmen agreed women’s rights — particularly access to abortion — was their main concern heading into the polls.
As a young person, Will said he was also concerned about environmental policy and international politics, especially surrounding the Israel-Hamas War. Granquist added that the U.S.- Mexico border policy was critical to him, too.
“My nana is from Mexico, so that’s a big thing for me,” Granquist said.
Bloomington locals Will and Amanda Whitaker often talk about politics at home. Will said his mom taught him everything he knows about this election and emphasized the importance of politics to him while growing up. Amanda made sure Will’s friends knew it was important too.
“I even told Zander, ‘I don’t care who you vote for, I’m giving you a ride, you gotta do it,” Amanda said.
Mark Fraley, associate director of the Political and Civic Engagement program at IU, voted for the first time in the 1998 midterm elections in Illinois. He remembers voting at his hometown church with his parents. He said it’s a compelling idea that families like his can vote together even if they don’t share the same views.
Like Will and Amanda Whitaker, IU freshman Lucy Tait, 18, went to the polls with her mom this weekend. They said it was fun to vote as a family, and it was something they talked about and researched together.
Advice for first-time voters
Fraley said the PACE program helps to connect Indiana students to nonpartisan voter education resources. Before the state voter registration deadline ended Oct. 7, he said PACE had registered nearly 1,000 voters through its Indiana University Student Government TurboVote program.
He mentioned some things students voting for the first time this year should keep in mind. They should make sure to bring a valid photo ID, and if they’ve registered to vote at their college address, they should make sure to bring a utility bill or lease agreement as proof of residence.
It’s important, Fraley said, that young people make their priorities known to politicians at the ballot box.
“Voting is a way to show that you matter, but also it tells elected officials that you've got your eye on them,” he said. “When elected officials see that there is an increase in people between the ages of 18 and 24 who are voting, then they start paying attention to the issues of young people being concerned.”
There was a huge turnout among college students in 2020. Fraley said it's no surprise that lawmakers have, in turn, paid more attention to college affordability and student loans in recent years.
Political campaigns on Gen Z social media
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris announced her candidacy in late July after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. With barely more than three months in her campaign, Harris has spent millions of dollars on catch-up social media campaign ads. In September, Harris’ campaign spent $222 million on advertising; Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump spent $53 million on advertising.
Several young voters mentioned the huge influx of election advertisements they’ve seen on social media in recent months.
“Harris is definitely using TikTok and social media in a way that you didn’t see Biden use in the 2020 election,” IU freshman Noah Thompson said. “I think it’s effective, I mean that’s for sure.”
Thompson noted that, as a young man, he thinks his social media algorithms are programmed to show him right-leaning content, so his social media feed has been flooded with Trump campaign information, even though he plans to vote for Harris.
Whitaker and Granquist also said they’ve seen countless election posts on social media — real and fake.
“It’s subtly everywhere,” Whitaker said. “There’s so many fake things, deep fakes out there. I’ve seen videos of Trump and Joe Biden, and I’ve had to actually look up if it’s real or not. And a lot of people I know just wouldn’t really bother looking it up.”
Given the stakes of the election, both students stressed that it’s critical to be accurately informed.
“Especially with AI stuff now, it’s important to do your own research and make sure you know what’s actually happening,” Granquist said.
Voting is open during Election Day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 5. Find information about your polling place at the indianavoters.in.gov website.
