Gen Z Knows Who They’re Voting for Before Trump-Harris Debate: Survey

Ahead of Tuesday night’s debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, Gen Zers say they already know who they’re voting for.
Nearly 70 percent of Generation Z, which consists of those aged 12 to 27, said they have already decided which candidate they will choose in November, according to a survey from the National Society of High School Scholars.
The survey looked at both high school students’ and recent graduates’ responses and found a majority of those eligible plan to vote but there could be little the candidates can do to change their decision before Election Day.
Bryan Driscoll, a generational expert and human resources consultant, said Gen Zers are likely certain in their decision because one candidate more notably serves their collective interests than the other.
“Gen Z already knows who they’re voting for because they’ve had enough,” Driscoll told Newsweek.
“They’ve grown up watching politicians prioritize corporate profits over people, and they’re done waiting for empty promises to materialize,” he continued. “This generation has seen the damage unchecked capitalism, climate inaction and a broken health care system have caused, and they’ve decided it’s clear that one candidate provides a better option forward.”
Roughly 83 percent of Gen Zers said they planned to vote, with the majority of those choosing not to because they either dislike both candidates or are not registered.
Gen Z is also likely to have strong feelings about the age of presidential candidates. A whopping 90 percent said they believed there should be a cap on a candidate’s age. One in four even said that 60 was too old to serve as president.
Among the top issues for Gen Zers were the economy, health care, women’s rights and the environment, but which issues were prioritized varied significantly based on gender.
Men tended to care about the economy, environment and immigration issues, while women prioritized women’s rights and health care.
“To be clear, neither major party is truly and unequivocally pro-worker, but when you’re stuck choosing between two bad options, there’s clearly one that’s the least worst by a mile,” Driscoll said.
In the 2018 midterm elections, young Americans showed up at the polls in record numbers. Roughly 36 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds reported voting in the election, a significant boost from the 20 percent participation level that had been consistent for decades.
So far this election year, Harris has seen steady support from Gen Z.
A recent NBC News Stay Tuned Gen Z poll revealed that 50 percent of registered voters aged 18 to 29 said they would be voting for the vice president. This compared with just 34 percent for Trump.
Older generations, on the other hand, might still be on the fence, Driscoll said. But because Gen Z is more likely to face challenges in the workforce and environmental concerns in the future, it’s unlikely any debate performance or statement could alter their impending vote, he said.
“This election will be a turning point because Gen Z isn’t voting out of tradition or party loyalty,” Driscoll said. “They’re voting for our collective future.”