Researchers say 2022 election had second highest young voter turnout in last 30 years

Story at a glance

• Turnout in battleground states was even higher for this key demographic, at around 31 percent.

• In previous midterm elections, young voter turnout hovered around 20 percent.

• Data show young voters tend to support democratic candidates.

Nearly 30 percent of young adults between the ages 18 and 29 are estimated to have voted in the 2022 midterm elections, marking the second-highest youth turnout in three decades.

That’s according to new research from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University, or CIRCLE.

Although votes are still being counted in races across the country, “it’s clear that young people had a major impact on the 2022 midterms,” the report reads.

Figures also indicate youth turnout was even higher in some battleground states where exit poll data are available. In Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, turnout for this age group was measured at 31 percent compared with 27 percent overall. However, totals may shift in the coming days as outcomes are finalized.

America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.

In a closely watched Pennsylvania race, 70 percent of voters between the ages 18 and 29 cast their ballots for Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman, while Fetterman won support from 55 percent of those between the ages 30 and 44.

“Young people proved once again that they’ll turn out to vote and impact election results, and their turnout in 2022 is one of the highest we’ve ever seen in a midterm election,” said Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, Newhouse Director of CIRCLE, in a statement.

“In many states youth overcame changes to election laws that posed direct barriers to participation and a lack of strong and continued investment in youth registration,” Kawashima-Ginsberg added.

“There’s both a big need and extraordinary potential to continue building on this trend of strong youth voting by stepping up our support for all youth to have a voice in our democracy.”

Polls carried out prior to the election put health care, mass shootings and mental health as top priorities for these voters, with abortion a top concern among cisgender women, trans men, trans women and gender-fluid Gen Zers.

Since the 1990s, participation in midterm elections hovered around 20 percent for young voters, though that total grew in 2018 and the trend continued in 2022.

Youth also overwhelmingly voted Democrat in the 2022 midterms, with rates almost identical to those seen in 2020. The Edison Research National Election Pool exit poll found 63 percent of young voters opted for democrats in the House of Representatives race, while 35 percent voted for republicans.

This age group was the only cohort where a strong majority supported democrats, as voters between the ages 30 and 44 largely split their votes along party lines, and older voters opted for republicans.

Demographic differences among young voters also played a role in candidate selection. Young people of color are more likely to support democrats white their white counterparts’ votes have been more evenly split.

In the 2022 midterms, 89 percent of Black youth and 68 percent of Latino youth voted for a Democratic House candidate compared with 58 percent of white youth.

Of the 8.3 million newly eligible young voters in the 2022 midterms, around 3.8 million are youth of color including  2 million Latinos, 1.2 million Black youth, 500,000 Asians, and 80,000 Native Americans.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.