Want to win your election? Don’t forget about young people

Just one year remains between now and what may be the most consequential election of our lives. With primary season beginning, the window of time that candidates have to determine their priorities and devise plans to communicate those priorities is rapidly closing. When it comes to updating policy or revising key messages, it’s now or never.  

As the leader of an organization that works with young people between the ages of 18-35, I have one reminder for them: don’t forget us.

The idea that millennials and members of Gen Z aren’t interested in politics is still, frustratingly, widely held. We have been called lazy and apathetic for our relative lack of representation in government and at the ballot box. But the truth is much more complicated. Our generations are turning out at higher and higher levels to fight for solutions to the issues that are affecting us, from leading rallies and marches that mobilize millions to voicing our opinions on social media. 

Meanwhile, politicians are enacting laws that make it more difficult for us to exercise our political power by voting. As a result, our voices and the issues that matter to us have been largely relegated to the sidelines of the national political conversation or an afterthought on the campaign trail—though that’s quickly changing. 

Young people played a critical role in the 2018 midterm elections. Turnout of voters between the ages of 18 and 29 increased by nearly 50 percent from 2014 to hit 31 percent in 2018, the highest rate of youth turnout in 25 years. It was not a coincidence that in January of this year a much younger and more diverse group of lawmakers was sworn into office. And all signs indicate that we’ll play an equally if not more significant role in the election next November.

By November 2020, young people between the ages of 18-35 will make up 37 percent —over one-third — of the electorate, making us one of the most significant voting blocs in the country. For candidates paying attention, it shouldn’t be hard to figure out what issues they need to be thinking about when it comes to reaching young people. 

Young people are disproportionately impacted by gun violence, student debt, and our broken criminal justice system. We are the members of society who will ultimately have to deal with the long-term impacts of the climate crisis. 

As the most diverse generations in U.S. history, which are growing as a direct result of immigration, millenials and Gen Z are more likely than older Americans to have family members, friends, or colleagues who are immigrants or are immigrants themselves. Candidates and sitting legislators need to take us seriously when we say that bold action is needed to address the roots of these issues. 

In 2018, candidates won their elections because they presented bold solutions to common American problems. They talked about improving access to healthcare, preventing gun violence, and protecting our environment to ensure that this planet remains a place where we can live and raise our families.

In the coming year, candidates will have the same opportunity to present a vision for our future that addresses the valid concerns and struggles of young people. They will have a chance to buck conventional wisdom about which policies and positions are politically safe, and instead focus on which solutions will have the greatest and most positive impact. 

This is not to say that talking to and caring about young people is only important during election years — it is important for elected officials to consider the experiences and needs of young people, who are almost certainly a core constituent demographic, throughout their time in office. They should be talking about the issues facing young people and how we can fix them each and every day.

Young people are paying attention to this election season — and for good reason. We are acutely aware that the outcome of this election will have massive implications for our ecosystem, our financial stability, and our values.  

Candidates: in these next twelve months leading up to the 2020 election, you must make a concerted effort to hear from young people and take our opinions into account—hire young people on your campaign, ask us what we need, and then take our perspectives seriously when crafting your policy agendas. 

We need you, and — frankly — you need us too.

Brent J. Cohen is the executive director of Generation Progress Action.