2018 Election Center

This page contains the most important CIRCLE data and analysis related to young people and the 2018 midterm elections, as well as additional tools and resources like our Youth Electoral Significance Index. We also feature a selection of news items that have featured CIRCLE research and commentary related to the upcoming elections, and information for media inquiries.

Background

• Quick Facts: Youth Voting
• Understanding Voting Data: Youth Turnout vs. Youth Share
• Young Voters and the 2016 Election
• What Are Young People’s Political Views?

2018 Election Analysis

• 9/19/2019 – Voter Turnout of Youth Aged 18-19 Shows States Having Varied Success at Growing Voters
• 5/30/2019 – New National Youth Turnout Estimate: 28% of Young People Voted in 2018
• 5/20/19 – Final Analysis of State-by-State Youth Voter Turnout Shows Increases Across the Country
• 4/2/19 – 2018 Youth Turnout Increased in Every State for Which We Have Data
• 3/5/19 – Political Outreach to Youth Effective in 2018 Midterms, But Many Still Left Out
• 2/20/19 – State by State Youth Turnout Estimates Confirm Trend of Increased Participation, Impact on 2018 Midterms
• 2/15/19 – The Gun Violence Prevention Movement Fueled Youth Engagement in the 2018 Election
• 11/15/18 – Five Takeaways on Social Media and the Youth Vote in 2018
• 11/12/18 – County by County, Young People of Color Key to Democratic Candidates in Close Races
• 11/7/18 – Young People Dramatically Increase their Turnout to 31%, Shape 2018 Midterm Elections
• 11/6/18 – Young People Favor Democratic House Candidates by Historic Margin, Data Continue to Suggest High Youth Participation for a Midterm
• 11/1/18 – Understanding Voting Data: Youth Turnout vs. Youth Share
• 10/30/18 – The Impact of Local News on Youth Political Engagement
• 10/24/18 – CIRCLE Poll: Young People’s Ambivalent Relationship with Political Parties
• 10/19/18 – Generation Z Voters Could Make Waves in 2018 Midterm Elections
• 10/15/18 – CIRCLE Poll: So Much for Slacktivism, As Youth Translate Online Engagement to Offline Political Action
• 10/11/18 – CIRCLE Poll: Ahead of 2018 Midterms, A New Generation Finds its Political Voice
• 10/9/18 – CIRCLE Poll: Youth Engagement in the 2018 Election
• 9/24/18 – Was Ayanna Pressley’s Victory in the MA-7 Primary another Example of Youth Support for Democratic Challengers?
• 6/26/18 – How Do Young People Vote in Midterm Elections?
• 3/23/18 – From #Parkland to the Polls: Teen Activism and Youth Voting in 2018
• 1/23/18 – Teens and Elections

In the News

• The midterms had record voter turnout. Should Snapchat get credit?, Mashable, 11/21/18
• Watch out, 2020: Young voters are on the rise, Christian Science Monitor, 11/15/18
• Youth, Latino mobilization paid off in the midterms. Now groups gear up for 2020., NBC News, 11/12/18
• The 2018 Midterms Saw Big Youth Voter Turnout, but There’s Still Room for Growth, Teen Vogue, 11/10/18
• Trump triggers massive midterm turnout, Associated Press, 11/9/18
• The Verdict Is In: The Youth Vote Shaped The US Midterm Results, Refinery29, 11/8/18
• Young Voters Turned Out in Historic Numbers, Early Estimates Show, U.S. News & World Report, 11/7/18
• Young Voters Could Make a Difference. Will They?, The New York Times, 11/3/18
• What today’s parents can do to raise the next generation of informed voters, 11/2/18
• What Will Bring Young Voters to the Polls?, Voice of America, 11/1/18
• Free rides to the polls test the transit and turnout connection, Curbed, 11/1/18
• Democrats’ chances of taking over control of the House rest with women, Millennials and suburban voters, experts say, Chicago Tribune, 10/29/18
• Ahead of the Trend: A look at youth civic engagement ahead of the midterms, Washington Examiner, 10/29/18
• Where Prospective, First-Time Voters Get Informed, Education Week, 10/29/18
• Young people poised to be a political force at the polls in 2018, ABC News, 10/25/18
• Gen Z activists target youth ahead of midterms with #WhyDoYouVote campaign, NBC News, 10/19/18
• How the Anti-Trump Resistance Is Organizing Its Outrage, TIME, 10/18/18
• Will Young Voters Show Up to Save the Country?, GQ, 10/17/18
• Young Voters Might Actually Show Up At The Polls This Year, FiveThirtyEight, 10/16/18
• 18 in ’18: How First-Time Voters Could Affect the Midterms, TIME, 10/15/18
• Taylor Swift and Rihanna told young people to register. They’re doing it, but are they going to actually vote?, The Washington Post, 10/12/18
• Young people could propel blue wave for Democrats: Poll, Washington Examiner, 10/10/18
• The Kids Are Alright — And They’re Voting in the Midterms, Study Finds, Roll Call, 10/9/18
• Uber and Lyft will help you find your polling place on Election Day, The Verge, 10/4/18
• How to Vote for the First Time as a College Student, VICE, 9/25/18
• On The Sidelines Of Democracy: Exploring Why So Many Americans Don’t Vote, NPR, 9/10/18
• Young voters, claim your power, The Boston Globe, 9/7/18
• Millennial movement: How this generation is getting voters to the ballot box, TODAY, 9/4/18
• Who accounted for the high Florida primary turnout? This group may be part of the answer, Miami Herald, 8/30/18
• MTV launches young voter registration drive, Chicago Sun Times, 8/20/18
• Millennials May Impact the 2018 Election. if They Show Up., U.S. News & World Report, 7/14/18
• How Young Voters Could Flip Congress, WNYC, 7/13/18
• Young Mainers and the issues they care about could decide November’s election, The Maine Beacon, 6/26/18
• Parkland Survivors Launch Tour To Register Young Voters And Get Them Out In November, NPR, 6/16/18
• Colorado’s young voters are expected to turn out and focus on issues, Denverite, 6/4/18
• More young people plan to vote this year. But their key issues may surprise you., Yahoo! News, 6/1/18
• Millennials take on Trump in the midterms, POLITICO, 5/28/18
• Young People Register to Vote in Greater Numbers—But Will They Come Out for Midterms?, Nonprofit Quarterly, 5/21/18
• Young People Keep Marching After Parkland, This Time to Register to Vote, New York Times, 5/20/18
• David Hogg Wants To Knock NRA-Backed Candidates Out of Office. His Biggest Obstacle? The Lackluster Voting Habits of His Young Peers, The 74, 5/10/18
• Minnesota’s youth could rock the vote in November — if they show up to the polls, Minnesota Star Tribune, 5/2/18
• Making it easier for young people to get involved in our elections, Daily Kos, 4/25/18
• Gun control advocates push to make voter registration the legacy of Parkland shooting, Washington Post, 4/21/18
• Montana’s Millennials Are Organized And Getting Ready For Midterm Election, Montana Public Radio, 4/10/18
• Parkland highlights political potential of millennials. The question now is if they’ll vote, Los Angeles Times, 4/3/18
• Tufts University Research Shows Potential Power Of Youth Vote, WGBH, 3/29/18
• Political force or fad? Young voters’ clout uncertain, Associated Press, 3/27/18
• Thousands to march in U.S. gun protests, but will they vote?, Reuters, 3/22/18
• Millennials’ Climate Views Could Sway 10 House Elections This November, Scientific American, 3/5/18
• Post Parkland, Young Voters Might Show up in 2018 , Los Angeles Daily News, 3/2/18

Tools and Resources

CIRCLE has developed two interactive online tools that allow individuals and organizations to better understand the potential for youth civic and political engagement:

• The Youth Electoral Significance Index (YESI) combines data on demographics, competitiveness, historical voting participation, and other factors to rank the states and districts where young people have the highest potential to influence electoral results in 2018.

Explore the YESI Index | Top 10 Statewide Races | Top 50 Congressional Districts

• Reaching All Youth Strengthens Engagement (RAYSE) is a county-level index that utilizes data on demographics, community conditions, past electoral participation, and other facts to rank counties where an investment of time, money, or people has a high potential for improving youth engagement—in elections and beyond.

Explore the RAYSE Index