NextGen America Drives Huge Turnout Among Young Voters
Young voters hit the polls in 2026, with a dramatic increase in turnout on NextGen campuses
Washington, D.C. — Today, NextGen America, a nationwide organization educating, engaging, and empowering young people to make their voices heard at the ballot box, reacted to Election Day’s results with a new analysis of the latest available early voting data in key races.
Young voters showed a dramatic increase in turnout from 2022 across a number of college campuses where NextGen spent this cycle organizing young people:
- +25 points: University of Michigan: 35% in 2022 to 59% in 2026
- +20 points: University of Houston: 48% in 2022 to 68% in 2026
- +19 points: Michigan State: 63% in 2022 to 82% in 2026
- +17 points: UNC Charlotte: 19% in 2022 to 36% in 2026
- +16 points: University of Iowa: 32% in 2022 to 48% in 2026
- +10 points: Georgia State: 14% in 2022 to 24% in 2026
NextGen America shared the following insights on youth voter behavior the day after Election Day:
“Young people voted, and they told us exactly why,” said NextGen America Executive Director Arianna Jones. “All year, before anyone asked for their vote, we asked more than a million young people what was on their minds. Their answer: the economy first, democracy second, foreign policy third. Our focus groups turned up the part people keep missing: young swing voters are undecided because nobody has earned their trust. That trust gets built between elections. Young people can be persuaded to turn out. We just have to be willing to do the work year-round.”
We’ve been hearing from students all year about why their vote matters, here are a few quotes in their own words:
“I voted today because a lot of my friends that I love and adore are really affected by the politics in America, and I want to do everything I can to make sure they are safe.”
“My ancestors fought for this right and it felt important for me to go out and exercise that right and also it’s important to speak up for what you care about and voting is a great way to do that.”
“How are you going to complain about the world around you if you do nothing to change it”
NextGen America will continue educating and empowering young people nationwide to build youth civic power, helping NextGen America’s student leaders host civic and community engagement activities, and reach young voters in online spaces that have been neglected for too long. NextGen will keep listening and uplifting youth voices year-round to ensure we build a country that truly represents the largest and most diverse generation in American history.
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About NextGen America
NextGen America is a nationwide organization working to educate and empower young people to organize, vote, and lead.