New Research Shows Over 8 Million New Eligible Young Voters

NextGen America’s 25,000 volunteers and staff of 200 field organizers are mobilizing across 186 college campuses in eight key battleground states to activate this youth voting bloc

Austin, TX — A recent report from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Engagement (CIRCLE) reveals that there are an estimated 8.3 million newly eligible voters for the 2022 midterm elections – youth who have turned 18 since the previous general election in November 2020. To ensure this powerful voting bloc turns out for progressive candidates in this year’s midterms, as well as all future elections, NextGen America is engaging young people in the voting process across eight key battleground states.

CIRCLE’s research also shows that of the 8.3 million new voters, 3.8 million are youth of color: 2 million Latinos, 1.2 million Black youth, 500,000 Asians, and 80,000 Native Americans. The 18-19 year-olds in this wave of new voters are more diverse than the rest of the electorate. This research reinforces the importance of NextGen’s diverse voter engagement program, which brings historically underrepresented communities into the voting process. The program includes Spanish-language outreach, partnerships with grassroots organizations, as well as multi-language media content and interviews.

“Last election cycle, we saw the largest youth voter turnout in American history, and now another 8.3 million young people are eligible to vote in the midterms. We have a clear message for politicians this year: don’t underestimate the power of a pissed-off generation,” NextGen America President Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez said. “Young voters want progressive policy change on climate, guns, abortion, the economy, and racial justice. We are providing them with the information they need and helping them understand the power they have to transform our country and government as the largest generational voting block in the country.”

In 2020, NextGen mobilized 1 in every 9 young voters who cast a ballot, leading to the largest youth voter turnout in history. Ahead of this year’s midterms, NextGen will be contacting 9.6 million young people and empowering them to elect leaders who will combat the climate crisis, fight for basic civil liberties like the right to abortion access and care, and create an economy that works for all of us.

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About NextGen America

NextGen America is the leading national organization for engaging young people through voter education, registration and mobilization. We invite 18-to-35 year olds — the largest and most diverse generation in American history — into our democracy to ensure our government works for them and to find new solutions to the dire challenges facing our society and the world. Since 2013, NextGen America has registered more than 1.4 million young voters and educated many millions more.