Most people have decided which presidential candidate to vote for, but some haven’t fully made up their minds. One group that’s especially hesitant is young people.
People in every demographic struggle with the decision, but young voters between the ages of 18 and 29 are especially split, making up 26% of undecided voters according to an October Emerson College poll.
Robert Shapiro, a political science professor at Columbia University, said young people’s voting attitudes are different from past generations.
“These young voters are the voters who had to experience the pandemic in a way that really disrupted their lives in terms of school and social lives and things of that sort, and there may be just a cloud hanging over them,” he said.
Along with the specter of the pandemic, young people are also getting used to being adults.
“Now, they've been faced with the kinds of economic and other pressures that other people in general are facing,” Shapiro said.
Even decided young voters aren’t necessarily satisfied by who they’ve chosen.
One ‘not-so-thrilled’ voter is Zain Ali, a Public Policy major at Cornell University.
“My standards are pretty high, so neither of them really meet my expectations of a presidential candidate when it comes to the kinds of policies that they would support,” Ali said.
He suspects many young voters struggle with the fact that there are only two “viable” choices to choose from making it, in his words, “existential.”
“When you go to vote now, you have to consider, ‘OK, I could vote in what makes me feel like I'm expressing my actual opinion,’” or he spoke in conflict with himself, “I'm essentially giving a vote to someone I believe is going to destroy the country.”
He finally cast his vote based on education and foreign policy, but other voters have different concerns.
Shapiro said the Israel and Palestine war is particularly divisive.
Especially for young Democratic voters, “[They’re] really unhappy with the Israeli oppressors,” Shapiro explained it’s why many are hesitant to vote for Harris, who has shown similar support for Israel as Trump.
For young Republican voters with concerns for Palestine, Israel, or other high contention issues, Shapiro said their votes are being tipped by Trump himself.
“The thing that that puts them on the fence, is basically the fact that they really don't like Trump as a human being,” he said.
Right now, Harris is ahead of Trump 10 points among young voters. While that’s a healthy lead, it is far short of Biden’s 26 point lead in 2020.
“Young voters are a big group and that lopsided split that she needs can be very important. It could make the difference in the election,” Shapiro said.
Which is an understatement considering the latest Census shows 41 Million Americans under the age of 27 are eligible to vote this election.
With the presidential race as close as it is, that gap could be crucial.