Young Voters Won the Iowa Caucus

NEXTGEN IOWA 2020 PROGRAM: BY THE NUMBERS

TOTAL PAID STAFF ON THE GROUND: 19
TOTAL VOLUNTEERS: 150
TOTAL CAMPUSES WITH PROGRAMS: 10
TOTAL PLEDGE TO VOTE CARDS COLLECTED: 10,245
DOORS KNOCKED: over 6,000
TOTAL TEXTS SENT: 20,013
TOTAL PHONE CALLS MADE: 4,876
TOTAL PIECES OF DIRECT MAIL SENT: 8,000

Even without an official winner announced, one victory from the 2020 Iowa caucus is clear: the youth vote showed up, proving that this year’s blue wave will again be powered by young people. According to entrance polling, young caucusgoers were a larger share of the electorate than their counterparts in 2016. Proving that young voters are ready to show up in 2020 and power progressive victories up and down the ballot. 

After several entrance poll waves, #iowacaucus #Youth vote share on the rise.

Compared to 2016 (at this stage):

17-29 YO share 23% (+5)
30-44, 21% (+2)
45-64, 28% (-8)
65+, 28% (even)

The thing about young voters, you can find them in all 50 states.#millennials #GenZ

— John Della Volpe (@dellavolpe) February 4, 2020

The effort to get out the youth vote was months in the making at NextGen Iowa, and included outreach through mock caucuses, three weekends of door knocking, digital organizing, direct mail, and caucus day events. From caucus carnivals to video game tournaments, NextGen Iowa reached many young voters at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, the University of Northern Iowa, Grinnell College, and Mount Mercy University through events on February 3rd that highlighted the community aspect of caucusing while providing relevant information.

“The excitement we saw from the youth vote on February 3rd has confirmed what we have known all along,” said NextGen Iowa State Director Brit Bender, “when we talk about the issues young people are passionate about, they show up and vote. We’re excited to keep this energy going through November 2020, as the youth vote will need to show up again to vote Donald Trump and his GOP enablers out of office.”

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This cycle, NextGen Iowa is committed to fighting to deliver Iowa’s six electoral votes to the Democratic nominee for president, helping flip one of the critical four Senate seats needed for Democrats to regain control of the chamber, and defending critical Democratic House gains from the midterms. From the presidential race to the Senate, Iowa is a battleground in 2020. In addition to a critical Senate race against Republican incumbent Joni Ernst, racist Representative Steve King’s House seat is vulnerable, and Democrats are only four seats away from flipping the Iowa State House.