Why young people historically don't vote - and why that's about to change

ABC7 breaks down voting trends among young people across the decades.

ByGrace Manthey KABC logo
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Gen Z is expected to make up 1 in 10 eligible voters this election
ABC7 breaks down voting trends among young people across the decades.

Historically and statistically, most young people in the U.S. simply don't vote.

According to an ABC7 analysis of U.S. Census data, less than 50% of people between the ages of 18 and 24 cast their ballots over the last four decades.

"We should understand that it's not because young people are apathetic, that they don't care," said Mindy Romero, Director of the Center for Inclusive Diversity at USC. "It's that young people often don't see why voting is an actionable step on something they care about."

In 2020, Gen Z is expected to make up 1 in 10 eligible voters, according to Pew Research.

ABC7 analyzed voting trends among young people between 1976 through 2018.

Graph not displaying correctly? Click here to view in a larger window.

Watch the video above for the full story.

Follow Rachel on social media:
Facebook.com/abc7rachel
Twitter.com/abc7rachel
Instagram.com/abc7rachel