Voter registration numbers are breaking records, particularly among young people. On National Voter Registration Day, Sept. 17, more than 150,000 individuals registered through Vote.org, the highest number ever recorded for that day. This figure represents more than half of the total voters registered by the site in all of last year.
Of the newly registered voters, 81% are under 35, and 11% are 18 years old, marking a 53% increase compared to four years ago. These numbers suggest a potential surge in young voters for the upcoming election.
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However, being registered does not guarantee that those individuals plan to show up at the polls. Historically, young voter turnout has lagged behind other demographics. In the 2022 midterms, only 1 in 4 voters aged 18 to 29 cast a ballot, compared to nearly 2 out of 3 voters aged 60 and older.
The 2020 election saw a record number of youth votes, with half of young people participating, yet turnout still trailed that of older demographics, which saw nearly 80% participation.
Polling data indicates a significant shift in candidate preferences among young voters since the Democratic ticket changed in July. Voters aged 18 to 34 were nearly evenly split between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump at that time. Now, they support Vice President Kamala Harris by a 23-point margin, 57% to 34%, according to NBC News polling taken after the ticket change.
While record-breaking registration numbers indicate a potential increase in young voter turnout this year, the U.S. currently has one of the lowest rates of youth voter turnout in the world. The gap between youth and senior voter turnout is twice as large as it is in Canada or Germany.
