On Wednesday, August 19th, Third Way convened the session “Young Voters in 2020” as part of its “Third Way @ the DNC” series. Third Way’s Senior Vice President for the Social Policy & Politics Program, Lanae Erickson, moderated the three panelists: Vice President of GBAO Research + Strategy, Michelle Mayorga; Founder & CEO of Blueprint Strategy, LLC., Antjuan Seawright; and Millennial Action Project (MAP)’s Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Layla Zaidane. In a wide-ranging Q&A, the panelists shed light on the political behaviors and motivations of Millennials and members of Gen Z (Gen Zer’s).
Beginning the discussion by distinguishing between Millennials and Gen Zer’s, the panelists shared a consensus that these young generations have much in common. Ms. Mayorga noted that there are “no huge differences” between the two generations, but that “Gen Z is everything Millennials are times 10.” Millennials are diverse, engaged with social media, and focused on policy issues over candidate personality or electability, she said, and members of Gen Z are even more that way. Ms. Zaidane of MAP followed by noting that Millennials’ and Gen Zer’s’ politics look more like each other’s—even across party lines—than they look like voters of older generations. Political issues that were once framed in a “left and right” paradigm are now being defined by young voters in a “past versus future” framework, she said. And these trends are unlikely to change, Ms. Mayorga noted: she sees little data to support the claim that young adults change their politics as they age.
Reflecting on the developments of 2020, the panelists anticipate COVID-19 and the younger generations’ diversity impact their politics for the foreseeable future. Mr. Seawright noted that the pandemic has shined a bright light on the living conditions people of color face, motivating young people to increase their political activism. Ms. Zaidane and Ms. Mayorga focused on how the COVID-19 situation has increased young people’s appreciation for the role of a more involved government; Ms. Zaidane quoted the statistic that in light of the COVID-19, 4 out of 5 young people say they have seen how much decisions by elected officials impact their daily lives.All 3 panelists also stated that Millennials and Gen Zer’s have grown up not only with more diversity than past generations, but that they increasingly expect and demand diversity in every element of their lives and government.
The panelists took the time to clear up some commonplace misconceptions about the younger generations as well. The panelists each pointed to the misconception that young people were disconnected from politics and disinterested, sharing ways they see Millennials rising up. They pointed to the increased turnout of youth voters in the past election cycle and youth involvement in recent protest movements like Black Lives Matter and the March For Our Lives as evidence of an active youth. Citing MAP’s report The Millennials on the Rise, Ms. Zaidane pointed out that almost 300 Millennials have won or are currently competing in 2020 Congressional primaries, up from 2018 in which 100 Millennials won their primary elections for Congress. Millennials are making their voices heard, including through elected office.
Finally, the panelists offered advice to political advocates trying to activate the youth. Mr. Seawright emphasized that young people are comfortable juggling many different mediums- phone calls, text messages, Twitter, happy hours- and the best way to reach them is through a combination of all the above. Ms. Mayorga emphasized that, given young voters’ focus on issues over candidate personality, political candidates must focus chiefly on communicating their specific policy stances. In a statement both summarizing MAP’s approach and gaining strong support from the other panelists, Ms. Zaidane stated, “the stuff you do on off-cycle years is more important than what we’re doing now.” She encourages activists to ask the question, “Are you investing in young people when it’s not election time and not just using their votes like an ATM?” The key to activating youth is ongoing engagement and the relationship, the panelists agreed.
