Social Justice Policy Brief #179 | Inijah Quadri | September 20, 2025
Policy Issue Summary
Young voters are often called a “sleeping giant,” and in 2024, nearly half of eligible 18–29-year-olds voted—about 47%. That’s slightly less than in 2020 but more than in 2016. Turnout varied widely: states like Minnesota and Maine had over 60%, while Oklahoma and Arkansas were in the low 30s. These differences are closely tied to state policies. Places with easy registration and voting options—like online registration, same-day registration, and mail voting—had higher turnout. States with strict ID laws and limited access saw lower participation. In short: young voters showed up in 2024, but where and how much they participated depended heavily on state policies and systemic barriers. You can explore more in CIRCLE’s full analysis or theMAP youth voting report.
Analysis
The youth vote is not monolithic. In 2024, young voters still backed the Democratic ticket overall, but by a far narrower margin than in 2020; young women leaned one way, young men another, and white youth often diverged sharply from youth of color. That heterogeneity matters: it means “youth” is a field of contestation where policy, organizing, and lived conditions—especially economic insecurity—shape who votes and how.
Let’s proceed with more facts. In 2024, youth voter turnout was 47%, down slightly from 50% in 2020 but up from 39% in 2016. Turnout among 18–19-year-olds was lower than among older youth, and big gaps appeared by race and gender: young white women reached 58%, while young Black and Latino men were below 30%. States like Minnesota, Maine, Michigan, and Colorado had high turnout and shared policies like automatic, online, and same-day registration, pre-registration at 16, and mail voting. States with low turnout lacked these features. That’s not random—it’s built into the system.
Vote choice tells a parallel story. In 2024, young voters favored the Democratic ticket by roughly four points nationally—down from a 25-point margin in 2020. Within the 18–29 cohort, 18–24-year-olds leaned more Democratic than 25–29-year-olds; young women leaned left while young men leaned right; white youth tipped Republican while Black, Latino, and Asian youth remained Democratic but with smaller margins than in 2020. Donald Trump won the 2024 election not because lots of voters switched sides, but because more Republican-leaning voters turned out in key states. The difference in turnout made the biggest impact. The lesson is sober and simple: small swings or turnout gaps among youth can decide national outcomes.
Many young Americans are struggling financially and are skeptical of politics. In 2024, many said they were “barely getting by,” and the top issue was the economy and jobs. That made their voting less predictable—and whether they showed up depended on whether politics seemed to offer real help. It’s not just about messaging; it’s also about access. It’s easier to mobilize someone who can register online or on the day they vote. It’s harder when registration needs paperwork they don’t have or a weekday trip they can’t afford.
The policy environment is in flux, with clear consequences for young voters. Some states made it easier: Michigan started preregistration at age 16 in 2024, and Minnesota added automatic registration and better campus access—both saw high youth turnout. Other states went the opposite way: Idaho stopped accepting student IDs to vote, and courts upheld the change in 2024. Nationally, the U.S. House passed the SAVE Act in April 2025, which would require proof of citizenship—like a passport or birth certificate—to register. Experts say this could block online, mail, and DMV-based registration systems that many young people use.
So, what helps? A growing body of research finds that same-day registration boosts youth turnout; online registration and automatic voter registration are associated with higher youth registration rates; campus-accessible polling and early-vote sites make participation logistically possible for students without cars or flexible schedules. These aren’t abstract governance tweaks—they are the difference between “maybe next time” and a ballot cast.
So, is there “much of” a youth vote—and can it matter? Yes, and it already does. In battlegrounds like Michigan and Pennsylvania, 2024 youth participation held up or increased compared to 2020, despite national slippage, and the margins among young voters remained the best of any age group for Democrats—even as Republicans gained ground with young men and some voters of color. A handful of points among millions of voters is the stuff of power. The strategic takeaway is not to romanticize youth as uniformly progressive; it’s to invest in the proven mechanics that raise participation, expand the eligible pool early (through preregistration and robust civic learning), and meet material concerns with policy that improves daily life.
Equity in voting isn’t optional. The lowest youth turnout in 2024 came from young Black and Latino men, non-college youth, and rural youth—groups that already face big hurdles like lack of documents, transportation, and access to information. The SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register, would hit these voters hardest, making it even harder for them to participate. Experts say this would widen existing gaps in representation. Making voting easier is not just fair—it’s the most effective way to build a youth electorate that truly reflects the population.
Engagement Resources
- CIRCLE at Tufts University (Tufts Circle): Data, turnout estimates, and policy analysis on youth voting.
- Pew Research Center (Pew Research Center): Validated-voter analysis of 2024 turnout and vote choice trends, including age cohorts.
- Brennan Center for Justice (Brennan Center for Justice): State-by-state changes to voting rules and research on campus voting access.
- U.S. Census Bureau (CPS Voting & Registration) (Census.gov) : Official statistics on registration and voting rates.
- Vote.org (Vote.org): One-stop nonpartisan tools for registration, deadlines, and voting options.
- Harvard Institute of Politics Youth Poll (Institute of Politics): Current attitudes of young Americans shaping participation.