From Young Voices To Big Choices The Youth Will Shape Texas' Future
Texas Democrats can harness the potential of our young electorate ahead of the 2024 elections.
According to the Houston Chronicle, in 2022, 75% of people under 30 skipped the midterm election. They probably rounded that number because, according to Tuft, it was 77.5%.
There are many reasons for that, but more than anything, we’re not talking to them.
I made that exact statement recently in a group and was corrected: Battleground Texas is on UT Dallas, which is excellent! We need that. However, over the last two years (as many of you know), I’ve been going back to college, not at UT Dallas. During this time, I’ve seen Jolt on campus twice, usually one person, one table. At the same time, I’ve seen fliers for multiple Turning Point USA events and anti-abortion groups, and a few weeks ago, RFK Jr. had some people out getting students to sign a petition to get him on the ballot.
Of course, one campus isn’t a monolith; perhaps my university is the exception, or maybe it’s the rule.
A caveat: the Alliance for Youth Action stated that Texas’ youth (under 30) turnout was nearly on par with that in America as a whole, 23%. KERA listed the turnout as 27% (I think they’re wrong) and the second highest in America.
Maybe the youth not voting is a more significant American crisis than a Texas one, but we’re poised to address it here in Texas.
Texas has 268 colleges and universities, including 37 universities, 50 community colleges, 10 health-related institutions, and six technical colleges.
Which political groups are on college campuses, registering voters or educating students?
Jolt: Jolt Action is a dynamic advocacy organization founded in 2016. It aims to empower the Latino community in Texas by amplifying the voices of young Latinos to influence change across key social issues. Through initiatives like voter engagement, leadership development, and community organizing, Jolt ensures Latinos have significant representation in elections and public policy.
Texas College Democrats: The Texas College Democrats is a student organization affiliated with the College Democrats of America, which operates as the official youth outreach arm of the Democratic National Committee. With chapters across more than 25 campuses in Texas, this organization engages college students in political activism and campaigning, promoting the ideals of the Democratic Party.
Battleground Texas: Battleground Texas is a political organization established in 2013 to make Texas a competitive state in national elections, primarily by mobilizing and increasing voter turnout among the state’s significant Democratic base. The organization employs voter registration drives, volunteer mobilization, and public advocacy strategies to boost participation in Texas’s electoral processes.
Students for a Democratic Society: Known for its activism in various social justice causes, SDS chapters can be found in some Texas colleges, but not many. These chapters engage students in various progressive issues. SDS hosts protests and other direct actions on campuses to show students that they have the power to win policies for a better campus and to move society as a whole in defense of progressive social movements.
MOVE Texas: MOVE Texas is a nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots organization dedicated to building power in underrepresented youth communities through civic education, leadership development, and issue advocacy. Founded in 2013 by students at the University of Texas at San Antonio, MOVE Texas has expanded its operations across multiple cities and college campuses throughout the state.
Again, Texas has 268 colleges and universities.
In a perfect world, all of the above organizations would have boots on the ground at every university and community college every week from the start of the fall semester in August until the polls close in November. Of course, that would take a lot of money and volunteers, just like everything else in politics.
Voters over 50 accounted for more than 80% of the turnout in the 2024 primary election.
We have to get young people in Texas to understand that by not voting, they allow people who likely don’t share their values to make decisions in their lives.
I’m 40+ish, so before you jump to “not all old people,” most people over the age of 50 vote Republican.
It isn’t so much about age as it is about ideological alignment. The more young people we can get voting, the more control Democrats can take in Texas.
Some data about Texas youth:
A total of 1,591,498 students are enrolled in Texas colleges.
In Texas, people ages 18-29 make up 22% percent of the voting-age population, but the group represents only 14% of voters.
If we want to flip Texas, we’ll need 6.5+ million Democratic voters showing up in November.
With 2024 being a presidential year, we should expect to see the youth turnout higher than we saw in 2022’s midterm election.
Here has been the youth turnout in America for presidential elections over the last 50 years:
The national turnout for youth in 2020 was 55%. Unfortunately, in Texas it was only 41%.
On the bright side, 2020 saw a +13-point change in youth turnout, compared to 2016, but it was still below the national average. The under 30 turnout is going to be critical in the 2024 election and beyond. And if we want to see more than 6.5 million Deocratic voters, we’re going to have to mobilize young people.
In 2022, Michigan’s youth turned out +16-points higher than Texas’s youth, and Michigan got a blue governor and a blue legislature.
But not all young people are in college.
Here are the groups reaching out to all under 40 voters:
Several other Young Democrat Clubs that were active in 2020 and 2022, and are no longer active today. Perhaps we’ll see them reignighted this election cycle.
If you’re under the age of 40, maybe this is your sign to get involved with your local Democratic club.
Messaging to young people matters.
The funny thing is, almost everything that young people want is already on the Texas Democratic Party Platform. However, for so long, so much of the narrative has been focused on federal politics, that it’s hurt Democrats in state elections.
Like it or not, Joe Biden is unpopular among younger people. While Biden has had several accomplishments, it’s not resognating with young people, especially if they aren’t regularly engaged in politics.
If civic groups and political parties were somehow able to reframe the messaging to talk about how important voting for the state legislature, it might resignate better with young people than trying to get them to vote on Biden’s record alone. (Especially, since his approval rating is low with younger voters).
After the Democratic loss in Texas in the 2022 election, I spoke with a Democratic candidate who lost. They told me that they believed they lost because of Biden’s approval rate at that time. Maybe that’s true, but maybe Democratic voters are hyper-focused on federal elections and don’t know that state elections have more impact on their lives than federal ones.
Republicans in Texas have overcame this and convinced a solid portion of their base that state elections are the most important, and that’s how they fight. And that’s why they show up in primary elections.
We have to get young people (and perhaps the populace in general) educated on:
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) bans came from the state legislature. And the oppressive measures the Republicans have lined up will be worse.
The bans on gender-affirming care and drag shows are coming from the state legislature. And the oppressive measures the Republicans have lined up is worse.
Texas is the largest emitter of greenhouse gasses in America, led by fossil fuel extraction and petrochemical production industries. Texas is leading the nation in destructive climate change measures. This is coming from years of Republican state government. Not just the legislature, but also the Rairoad Commission and the Texas Land Office. Because of this, Texas youth are positioned to have a huge impact on climate change, if they prioritize getting Republicans out of our state government.
The Texas Democratic Party was the first state party to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The more youth Democrats can get engaged and involved in state politics, the better it is for Texas Democrats:
So, how do we get young people educated and engaged?
I’m 40+ish, I honestly don’t know. But I will find out and write a follow up about it soon.
We need more young political influencers. I’ve spent plenty of time on social media looking for people who talk about Texas politics or are trying to promote policies in Texas. Unfortunately, we don’t have any. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of influencers who talk about Texas politics, but don’t fall in the “younger” group.
There are a few younger folk in Texas who are very political active and have larger followings, but their platform is all about national politics.
Texas needs a young, superstar, who is out there educating their peers on the importance of state elections and voting for local representation. When I find that person, I’ll make sure to share all their socials with you.
Showing up on a consistent basis, in places where young people are, will go a long way. Remember, flipping Texas is going to take all of us. Vote early, vote often, just vote.
Important 2024 primary RUNOFF election days:
May 17, 2024: Last day to apply by mail
May 20, 2024: First day of early voting.
May 24, 2024: Last day of early voting.
May 28, 2024: Last day to receive a ballot by mail.
May 28, 2024: Election day.
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I have lots of thoughts on this subject but will limit this comment to pointing out that the Dem candidate for House District 112, Averie Bishop, is all the things you mentioned looking for. She’s a 27 yr old influencer who is working her butt off to reach young voters. Check her out!!
Well said.