We’ve reached another era of Zillennials being involved in election season. Though each year holds a sense of importance in the political climate, 2024 holds more weight, especially now that Zillennials are getting older and can gain more political responsibilities in their communities. According to the 2022 Census data, 31 percent of people under 30 voted in 2022. Throughout the previous election season, statistics show it was the third highest turnout for the younger generation.
Though it seems early, the time for Zillennials to get involved is now—2023 spotlighted issues like reproductive health, education and climate change. Gen Z’ers must be vocal about the change they want to see. During this season, voters will cast ballots in the primary races to decide on Republican and Democratic party candidates. For early 2024 predictions, former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden are expected to rematch each other again.
Still, the primary concern for Zillennials is to focus on the significant issues from the previous year that need to be addressed. The new duty of the next generation is to set the tone for how presidential candidates should prioritize the country’s stability, especially marginalized communities.
Why You Should Focus On The Presidential Primaries?
The presidential primaries are held at the beginning of the year for primary voters to choose their preferred candidate anonymously. Still, Zillennials should pay attention to the presidential primaries because some states have open primaries, allowing any registered voter to cast their vote.
What Are The Major Issues That Need To Be Addressed?
Abortion: Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, lawmakers have to address the conversation of passing abortion protections or restrictions at the federal level.
Education: From the Florida Book Ban to the New York City Library cuts, the state of literacy is in trouble for the next generation, and during this election, voters should pay attention to how candidates handle the state of their education.
Student Loan Debt: As Zillennials get older, the conversation around student loan debt continues to impact education for the next generation. With the back-and-forth of repayment happening, the next presidential candidate will see primary concern from voters about what they plan to do regarding student loans.
Which States Need The Most Recognition?
The top states are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin because those states turned to Biden in 2020 after being for Trump in 2016. For the Zillennials living in those particular states, having a better voter outcome of impacting the race is important. States like Georgia and Arizona are looking for a strong turnout from people of color to show up at the ballots and utilize their voices to choose the next president.
How Can Zillennials Stay Involved?
For this upcoming election, it’s key that the next generation continues to ask questions. Though it is early in the election season, understanding takes time, and if Zillennials want to continue to get involved in politics, they need to receive answers.
“Nobody can exist in an echo chamber from other parts of society and expect that we can get anything done,” Councilwoman Bahktiari tells GU. “It amounts to what we have now, a deeply divided nation with a lack of understanding of the other side.”
As we maneuver through the year, now is the time to prep and research what you look for in a candidate and what issues are important to you as a voter.
About the Author: Kenyatta Victoria is the lead writer for Essence GU, working on all things pop culture, politics, entertainment and business. Throughout her time at GU, she’s garnered devoted readers and specializes in the Zillennial point of view.