VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Zach Card: Four years ago, Generation Z was a storyline in shaping the 2020 election that saw President Biden elected. Now, another group of 18 to 22 year olds are exercising their right vote for the first time. Among those is Giovanni Alexander-Louis who took some pushing from professors to vote.
Alexander-Louis: My teachers have talked about it for a while. Getting me to even register, they were really heavy on that.
Card: According to the Pew Research Center, Gen Z voters were born between 1997 and 2012. We’re still six years away from seeing the youngest in the generation vote. In 2020, Gen Z made up just 8% of voters. That number is expected to jump this year as more young voters like Victoria LaFarge are learning what’s important to them.
LaFarge: I think there is a lot on the line right now. In particular, with like women’s rights, queer rights, racial justice all of that.
Card: Some Gen Zers including LaFarge rely on the internet to stay informed.
LaFarge: Because we’re the true internet generation, I feel like we have so much more access to knowledge around politics and government. We have so much more to give and so much more to learn as well.
Card: But while some do their own research, some still listen to their parents.
Alexander-Louis: A lot of the information I get is online or something my mom would tell that affects her. That’s a lot of what I hear.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Syracuse University’s Huntington Hall is the polling location for the university and some of the surrounding area. College voters took the opportunity to let their voice be heard.
“I think there is a lot on the line right now,” Syracuse student Victoria LaFarge said. “In particular, women’s rights, queer rights, racial justice, all of that.”
Many of these issues are addressed in Proposal One on the backs of ballots. Freshman Syracuse student Kendall Soviero wanted to make sure she filled it out correctly.
“It was worded weirdly where I was like, ‘I’m voting correctly right?’” Soviero said. “That was a big thing for me.”
The youngest generation of voters is Generation Z. The Pew Research Center labels Generation Z as those born in 1997 until 2012.
It’ll be another six or so years before the youngest in the generation can vote, but until then the rest will continue to flex their voting muscles.
With 41 million eligible voters, Generation Z plans to make their vote count.