“We’re afraid”: Generation Z could have the keys to the White House, and the parties know it

It seemed his future was at stake when 18-year-old Carter Fay cast his early vote in the US election.

“The reality is that our democracy, I really believe, is at stake. And that goes for people of my generation too,” said Fay, who comes from the battleground state of Georgia.

“Let me be clear: we are afraid.”

Fay is among an estimated eight million Generation Z voters who will be able to vote in a presidential election for the first time ever. There is power behind this generation that is angry at the current political system and worried about its future.

And the race for the White House still appears to be dead.

Many young people were dismayed when it emerged that the election would be a repeat of the 2020 matchup between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

Trump had weakened the Democrats' influence on youth voting and gained acceptance among young white men without a college education. He also saw increasing support among young black and Latino men.

Democrats feared that younger voters who were indifferent to two older candidates might not even vote.

After a disastrous presidential debate, a turbulent turnaround occurred and Biden removed his name from the Democratic ticket. Vice President Kamala Harris catapulted into the candidacy, fueled by a flood of memes, viral moments and the enthusiasm of younger Americans.

Polls suggest that young people overwhelmingly support Harris, by a ratio of about 60 to 40, said Marc Trussler of the University of Pennsylvania. But there is a significant gender gap.

“Young men are much more pro-Trump,” said Trussler, director of data science for the university’s polling and election studies program.

“But even among young men there is probably a tie between Harris and Trump, perhaps a little pro-Harris.”

Evan, who recently attended a Trump rally in Pennsylvania, said it was his first time voting for the president. The 20-year-old, who did not give a last name, said he has been running a business since he was 12 and it is difficult under the current government.

“I see the prices of things, inflation goes up and down, up and down,” Evan said. “Now it's like it's finally our turn to have money in this world, to do the things we want, and … (we) can't afford anything.”

Trump has strategically sought to appeal to voters like Evan who are frustrated about their future prospects and worried about what they call the left's “woke” culture. He has appeared on “bro” podcasts such as the wrestling podcast “Six Feet Under,” the sports podcast “Bussin' with the Boys,” and “The Joe Rogan Experience.”

His rallies are more like a monster truck rally than a political event. His celebrity supporters include Kid Rock, Hulk Hogan and local rap artists from battleground states.

Trussler said he is connecting with first-time voters, but also with people who are not traditionally interested in politics and rarely vote.

“I think we saw that both candidates pursued strategies that would not have been considered in previous elections,” said Canadian Trussler.

Harris has also appeared on podcasts such as “Call Her Daddy” and receives celebrity endorsements from Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. The vice president and her team have been praised for their success on social media, where they are associated with viral moments.

“The campaigns have tasked social media (people) with implementing these types of strategies,” said Melissa Haussman, professor emeritus at Carleton University in Ottawa. “It doesn’t just grow organically.”

Democrats are meeting primary voters where they are, Fay said. The University of Toronto student said his generation grew up on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. This is where they came to politics and activism.

“There was no real way to see the things we wanted to change,” Fay said. “The fact that my generation now in Generation Z has the ability to go out and actually vote is a really big deal.”

Fay said many of his colleagues care about climate change, social justice, education and gun laws – things that affect their future.

“My generation grew up going to school and actually fearing for their lives,” he said, referencing the shooting at Apalachee High School in September.

You also care about freedom. Young women of his generation have fewer rights than the generation before, Fay added.

Polls also suggest that peer influence could be a key factor in voter turnout.

According to a survey by the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, 79 percent of young people plan to vote if their friends do. Only 35 percent plan to attend, even if their friends don't.

That could prove crucial, Trussler said. In general, voter turnout among young people is lower than other groups.

But about 55 percent of voters between the ages of 18 and 29 voted in 2020, a significant increase from the previous election. They played a key role in Biden winning battleground states and taking the White House. If young people turn out in droves again, it could prove a boon for Democrats on November 5th.

George Constantine, 20, said young Republicans were motivated and also talking to their friends.

“If you love Trump, keep following Trump,” Constantine said at the recent Trump rally in Pennsylvania.

“Don’t let your friends, school or online tell you otherwise. What’s best for your heart is what you think.”