Gen Z and millennials are officially the largest voting bloc in the U.S., making up 48 percent of eligible vot
ers. In 2022, it’s estimated that 27 percent of people aged 18-29 cast a ballot, marking the second highest youth voter turnout in a midterm election in almost three decades. Since then, 8 million young people have reached voting age, and just under half of them are people of color.
“What we do know about young people is they do believe in change. … I think that’s a misconception about young people, that they’re nihilistic in that way. They’re really not. They’re quite hopeful,” said Lucille Wenegieme, executive director at HeadCount, an organization focused on music and culture as a doorway to civic engagement.