TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Election Day is on Tuesday and voters will be rushing to the polls, many of those being younger voters under the age of 25.
While some younger Arizonans are motivated, others aren’t as excited to partake in the voting process
“I feel like I’m very uneducated when it comes to politics so I just chose not to vote this year,” University of Arizona student Kassandra Gordon said.
Samara Klar, an associate professor at the University of Arizona's School of Government and Policy said younger people don’t tend to vote because they’re not as impacted by politics.
“As people age they tend to feel more of an impact from politics in their daily lives. They’re paying more taxes, they own property, their kids are in schools,” Klar said.
A far as this year’s midterms, she says she said so far, based on the percentage of early ballots turned in, young people are not voting as much as in the 2018 midterms.
She said she expects that to change and tick upwards on Election Day when younger people rush to the polls.
She said since Arizona is considered a politically “purple” state, younger voters feel like their vote matters more.
“There’s a lot on the line and I want to have my vote count because I want to be able to make a change,” University of Arizona Freshman Joshua Kamell said.
Kamell voted for the first time and said both political sides agree that there is a lot at stake in the midterms.
Klar said reproductive rights and inflation are young voters’ top issues they care about the most when heading to the polls.
She said the Democratic Party usually benefits from younger voters because they tend to have more liberal views on social issues and the economy.
However, she said the Democratic Party is surprised a by a lower turnout by younger voters than they expected in this year’s midterms.
She said with such tight races, younger voters can shape the outcomes of the midterms.
Kamell said it's up to younger voters to make their voices be heard and show up to the polls.
“A lot of the older groups…they already have an idea about how they’re going to vote, and it is what it is, but if we want to actually make any change, young people voting is what makes that change,” Kamell said.