This November, I and millions of other young Americans will for the first time be eligible to vote in a presidential election. As we move from the children’s table to join the adults, we will have four choices on the menu: to vote for a convicted insurrectionist, a fumbling antique, a third-party candidate that will not win, or to give up and let others choose the least of the bad.
I fear many of my peers may have a similarly depressed reaction to this set of choices, potentially disillusioning young voters and causing plummeting turnout in future cycles.
Despite consistently being the age group with the lowest voter turnout, young people have been increasingly showing up to the polls in recent years. According to one study, 50% of qualified voters under the age of 30 voted in the 2020 presidential election, up from 39% in 2016. Voter turnout may well rise once again this cycle. Political engagement is a good thing, but it’s cause for concern that this contest will be so many young people’s first experience in voting.
A person’s political views throughout life are most impacted by the state of affairs in politics when they were young. Data collected by the Pew Research Center shows that age groups that turned 18 under a popular president of one party generally voted for that party in future elections, with the inverse holding true for unpopular presidents. If you turned 18 under Richard Nixon, you’re likely a Democrat; under Ronald Reagan, you’re likely a Republican.
That calculation gets complicated, however, for my generation, which is growing up under an extremely unpopular Democratic president while the Republican figurehead is so repugnant to people my age. We’re left with a poor taste in our mouths by Joe Biden, but the Republican Party doesn’t offer an appealing alternative with Donald Trump at the helm. The dilemma for Gen Z, then, is whether there is a party it can support at all. Some may turn to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a trendy third-party option. He’s at least comparatively youthful in this election, even at double the minimum presidential age. Regardless of what they choose, why is the best that this country can do is force voters to choose the lesser evil?
If the best selection possible is unfit for the job, it might be reasonable to sit out the election altogether. While this mess could stunt some of the predicted growth in youth turnout this year, the greater concern is the damage this election may have on my generation for years to come. The candidates are far too old to be relatable to young voters. While it’s fortunate that at least one of them will be replaced next cycle, the two major parties have sent a message to the country that they don’t care about Gen Z voters. If the parties don’t appear to be concerned about you, why should you vote at all? That’s a dangerous realization to leave with an impressionable population. Gen Z may be this country’s bitter and alienated generation for decades.
As Biden continues to show the public that he needs to retire from public service, the solution to all of this becomes increasingly clear. The Democrats need a different candidate. Not only will they have a better chance of beating Trump in this election, but they may gain a powerful voting bloc for the future. Gen Z wants a reasonably aged president now, and whichever party gives it to them will gain lasting support. If neither does, my generation could sour on the idea of voting entirely.
Kevin Farnsworth ([email protected]) is an incoming sophomore at Christopher Newport University from McLean, Va.
