Voting As Young Womxn

Throughout the past year, bipartisan reporters, news anchors, and presidential candidates continuously labelled the 2020 election as “the most important election in our lifetime.”

2020 Election Day took place amidst a global pandemic and a nationwide protest for racial justice, inciting one of the highest young voter turnouts. According to calculations by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University, “52%-55% of voting-eligible young people, ages 18-29, cast a ballot in the 2020 presidential election,” compared to 2016 where the voter turnout was 42 to 44%. In fact, According to CNBC’s article, fittingly titled “The 2020 election shows Gen Z’s voting power for years to come,” NBC News Exit polls suggest that 65% of those between the ages of 18 and 24 voted for Biden — 11% more than any other age group. This turnout led Biden to victory with crucial support from youth of color who helped shift key battleground states, including Georgia and Arizona which went blue for the first time in more than 20 years. More information on these statistics can be found here.

As a first-time voter, I was excited to register in North Carolina and cast my vote in a crucial swing state. I was excited to vote, but decided I wanted to do more to encourage other new voters to go out and vote too. I received an email from an alumni in my sorority which stated that there was an influencer position open at Vote America, a nonprofit organization founded by elections and technology experts with the mission of “combatt[ing] the chaos of the 2020 election cycle by helping to drive record-shattering voter turnout.” I immediately applied for the position, excited to encourage more voter participation.

For the readers who read my previous article about the presence of social media in hiring, I was thrilled to use my platform for a larger cause among my specified age group - predominantly first time voters. I was able to use my Instagram to provide information to my audience on how to register to vote or how to change poll locations. This is extremely useful for students who attend colleges or universities in swing states. I was shocked to see how my posts encouraged many of my friends to come to me for guidance on how to change polling locations or to verify their registration. These friends also introduced me to other students who were also first time voters, navigating the registration process. At Wake Forest, us students were lucky to have a polling site at a nearby church within walking distance from our campus gates which further encouraged students to vote. Another great asset was the ability to go to a polling site during early voting to register in-person for the election or to consult poll workers with any issues we may be facing in the process.

According to the Association of American Colleges and Universities, 33% of students said that the coronavirus pandemic is the most serious issue the nation is facing right now, 22% of students were concerned about “racial inequality, police mistreatment of Black people, or racism,” and others viewed climate change, the economy, inequality and White House leadership as pressing issues. Not to mention, 72% of college students were paying attention to the news about the election, up until election day. Based on the outcome of the 2020 election, I believe Gen Z has the power to change the nation’s perspective towards the issues our generation is most passionate about. I am excited to see how young voices will continue to change the tide. After centuries of white men in office, the recent inauguration of our first Black, female Vice President Kamala Harris is proof of the power social media and the youth of the country hold.

By Margaret Rand

Sophomore at Georgetown University, majoring in Art History and minoring in Journalism. Born and raised New Yorker. Contemporary art lover and kitten fanatic.