It is Election Day and tight races are happening around the United States. Millions of Americans will hit the polls Nov. 8 following the millions who have already cast their vote. So, who is voting while inflation is scorching-hot and the US-Mexico border crisis is unresolved?
When it comes to the generational breakdown of American voters, there are differences in not just the age gap of voters, but also how they vote and what issues are most important to them.
Gen X and Boomers are showing up in masses to vote in the largest numbers, while Gen Z and Millennials trail behind.
In general, fewer people vote in midterm elections than presidential elections on a whole, but fewer young people are expected to vote tomorrow than older generations.
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Even though younger voters will not likely make a huge impact at the polls in 2022, there are still plenty of Gen Z and Millennial-aged, politically-driven individuals across the U.S.
They use social media to influence local and national communities and voice their opinions. Rock the Vote is expecting nearly half of voters to be made up of Gen Z and Millennials in the next presidential election.
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Karoline Leavitt, a 25-year-old Republican from New Hampshire is a Millennial and could become the youngest woman ever to be elected to Congress.
Leavitt is a former White House staffer of the Trump administration. She is facing off against Democrat Chris Pappas in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District election. The title is currently held by Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who was elected in 2018 when she was 29.
“The Republican Party is the party of the working man and the working women,” Leavitt said.
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“We want to uplift all Americans regardless of race, religion or creed, by unleashing the might of our American economy, lowering taxes for all, and ensuring the American dream persists for my generation,” said the young Republican candidate.
Younger voters and middle-aged voters tend to battle on which issues are most important. Ahead of the 2022 midterms, middle-aged voters identify the economy as a top concern for them, while younger voters feel abortion rights, climate change, and gun policies are among some of their top issues.
Out of the millions voting in pivotal elections across the country, early stats have shown early voting is up in this year’s election in comparison to the last.
As of Sunday afternoon, 40,114,753 Americans had already cast their votes. Of those voters, 18,325,512 went in person to vote while 21,789,241 voted by mail.
Historically, Democratic voters have been more likely to vote early, and while they still do show up in large numbers to cast early ballots, some Republican voters have shown up to the polls before Election Day. Party information from the 23 states that report it say that 34% of early voters are Republicans while 43% are Democrats.
According to a Fox News poll, about half of voters (51%) are more enthusiastic about this election compared to elections in the past. When it comes down to the parties, Republicans are more excited to vote than Democrats, which could explain the increase in Republicans who voted early.