Two "Vote Here" signs sit outside the Armory Park Center on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022 in downtown Tucson.
Over 8 million young people aged 18-29, are expected to vote in the 2024 election, according to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University. In Arizona, a swing state, voter registration for 18-19-year-olds has jumped by 35% since 2020. Data from the 2022 Census Community Survey shows that 956,300 Gen Z voters are eligible in Arizona, out of 5.3 million statewide.
In Pima County alone, the Recorder’s Office reports 15,118 registered 18-year-old voters, with party affiliations breaking down to 4,175 Democrats, 3,260 Republicans, 7,342 Independents, 88 Libertarian, 200 No Labels, and 53 in the Green Party.
The Harvard Youth Poll shows Vice President Kamala Harris leading on abortion rights and middle-class issues. At the same time, she and former President Donald Trump remain competitive on matters like immigration, the economy, and the Israel-Hamas conflict.
For the 41 million Gen Z members who are voting for the first time, issues of all kinds are at stake including concerns about the country’s polarized political climate.
These new voters are America’s future. They’ve studied the democratic process and now they’re stepping up to cast their ballots for the first time.
Here’s what eight of them in Pima County had to say about voting, in their own words.
Samantha Farbarik, 18, senior at Catalina Foothills High School
VIEW LARGER Samantha Farbarik, 18, senior at Catalina Foothills High School. "I just think it’s a part of our civic duty to vote and given that I have the opportunity to be a part of some change in our country, I just figure I should take that opportunity.
Women’s rights are super important to me because I am a woman and because there have been a lot of things happening in the political climate recently in relation to women’s rights…I find it a little appalling that I have less rights than my mom did at my age and that is something that I hope to change, that way my future daughter will have more rights than I did at this age.
I am worried about how divided our country is politically and I wish we could find more things to agree on…It’s scary becoming an adult because everybody has an equal responsibility towards voting and towards the future of our country other than the elected officials. I am a little bit worried that because of social media and because of a certain mentality, that people may not be voting based off of information and how they actually think, they just vote a certain way because someone told them to… it’s really scary that things that were decided upon 100 years ago or a significantly long time ago, are back up for debate and it reminds me that history is very cyclical because it always repeats itself. Maybe if people had better understandings of the past and a better education in the past then they could make stronger decisions on the future of our country, understanding what has and what has not worked."
Darren Yong, 18, senior at University High School
VIEW LARGER Darren Yong, 18, senior at University High School. "In government class, we were looking at how the votes were distributed among different age groups and younger people tend not to go out and vote, so we’re missing that opinion in society and in representation in the government.
This is the first time that I’m able to vote and I’m just excited to vote because I get to contribute to this national process.
I think because young people aren’t necessarily the target of the candidates. I think that as a young person, I feel that I don’t necessarily, completely or even for the most part, side with either side and I think I just have to choose which ones I kind of want or which topics that I care more about to vote on because the candidates are not geared towards the needs of the younger population."
Lance Kaye, 18, senior at University High School
VIEW LARGER Lance Kaye, 18, senior at University High School. "I’m nervous for the results of Tuesday, because in a country so polarized I think no matter which way the election goes, there’s going to be a lot of really angry people and I think that could make it really hard to have productive conversations and like a forward thinking society.
I think a lot of what either candidate has said or done regarding immigration has influenced my vote…like the demonization of the Hispanic population in the U.S.
I think that kind of rhetoric is so harmful towards Puerto Ricans but also there’s things about, “immigrants are poisoning the blood of our society” – a lot of just anti-immigrant rhetoric which has really made it hard for me to listen to some people who agree with these ideas.
Young people are some of the most underrepresented voters in terms of like voter turnout and we’re very opinionated so I think it’s really a shame that we’re not going out and using our voices so that we can be represented. There’s kind of like a never-ending loop of like, ‘Oh, I’m not represented so why should I vote?’ And then when you don’t vote you don’t get represented, because the people who you know, people who aren’t representing you ultimately aren’t losing anything. So I think it’s really important to change that cycle and get young people out."
Braddock Brockschmidt, 18, senior at Catalina Foothills High School
VIEW LARGER Braddock Brockschmidt, 18, senior at Catalina Foothills High School. "I think even if you’re torn on one thing, we should be going and voting even if it’s on like half of the thing because there’s still important things you can vote for even if you can’t make up your mind with the president or with the Senate, you can make up your mind and make a difference with the TUSD board district or whatever district you are and make a difference with maybe some of the judges you like.
I think some people they just feel like an apathy to it because it just feels like there’s so many people and they feel like they can’t really make that big of a difference and what’s the point.
I think it should be taught more not even just in school, finding more information out for yourself and actually like diving into trying to leave your ideology and natural bias to believe a certain way and try to really look at, ‘What do these people say that they’re gonna do? What kind of people are they trying to satisfy?’ Because at the end of the day, that’s what the politicians are doing.
I think it’s rooted in fear and it’s trying to stand by your beliefs too strongly and not trying to step outside of your beliefs and trying to step outside of your ideology and all the biases from all the things you’ve experienced throughout your life. I think it is also an issue with dehumanizing other people.
I think everyone needs to take a relaxed position and realize the only way we’re going to get anywhere is stepping down from what we think is righteous and thinking that we’re righteous in what we do and thinking, ‘Oh, maybe I’m wrong.’ I think if everyone asked themselves that before they look at something political, even if they’re not right about anything I can still learn something.
I think it’s important for young people to vote because they’re deciding the future.
I mean everyone talks about wanting certain things in their life and wanting the world to be a certain way...and that’s how you can do it…Change happens slowly. It happens slowly with all these little things. And if you don’t do the little things, then the change doesn’t happen."
Sydney Sundt, 18, senior at The Gregory School
VIEW LARGER Sydney Sundt, 18, senior at The Gregory School. "In May, I registered to vote. I was super excited because we’re very lucky that we get to vote.
This election is pretty monumental in the way that our country could, either way it could go and for the future. So that’s just really what’s inclined me to vote and also it’s pretty cool that I get to be a part of democracy.
I was talking to my dad about this, and he was like actions speak louder than words so people can say one thing and completely do another so I think seeing what each candidate has kind of done in the past and seeing what their values are and what’s important to them, that has definitely influenced my vote.
I think as a young person, we have a lot of power and banding together...there’s so much we can do together and what an impact we can have on the future of our country and our state.
I hope for the future is, not to be so divided because I know at school, everybody has such diverse opinions, and for some people, at least in my experience, they won’t be friends with other kids at my school because of where they align on the political spectrum. I mean I get it, but it’s just sometimes a little hard to navigate as an 18 year old."
Brianna Ramirez, turns 18 on Election Day, senior at Flowing Wells High School
Dropping ballot off at polling place
"I feel like since I come from an immigrant family, I feel like whenever there’s subjects that are brought up, especially on debates with presidents, I feel like I always kind of listen for their issues like taxes especially since I work part time as well as a lot of other teenagers…the border…
At first I didn’t care to vote like a lot of teenagers. I feel like we always look at social media, which there’s a lot of people we see that are really political...sometimes they do it to an extreme amount to the point where they have flags of it, they have all these things...sometimes it could even be cult-like.
My teacher she told me, ‘If you guys don’t vote, someone’s going to vote for you,’ and that made me want to vote…I feel like there’s two candidates where it’s not like we’re super firm on one of them... none of them kind of speak to us…I’ve heard this by so many other classmates but it’s more of like, ‘Who’s less worse in this situation?’ and that kind of makes us less want to vote but at the same time, we have to kind of risk it and say, ‘Hey I have to vote, I have to make people hear my decision and my voice in that way.’
Since I do come from an immigrant family and I’m a first-time voter, none of them could have helped me, especially when it was [the] voting process and especially since we learned a lot in government, in my class and [I] couldn’t really talk to my family, the closest thing was classmates.
Teenagers, their vote…it really does matter. If there’s more teenagers who vote, it could honestly overtake the older voters and there’s so much young people out there who don’t care about voting, but honestly, it really does matter and it's for their futures for four years."
Braedan MacDowell, 18, senior at The Gregory School
VIEW LARGER Braedan MacDowell, 18, senior at The Gregory School. "It seems like such a big thing, but the process for registering to vote was really easy…it almost feels kind of surreal because it’s the kind of thing where your choice matters, but it’s also one in millions. So it’s a really weird feeling to finally be able to be a part of this big thing.
One thing that really stood out for me is how much all of them valued water and trying to make sure that Arizona isn’t cut off from the Colorado River supply and trying to keep water not only affordable but a resource that we have access to here in Arizona
Something that was really cared about by a lot of our people running for office was just the border and immigration in general, how to try and keep our economy strong and have some sort of order but also not dehumanize people that are really just searching for help.
We are definitely kind of in a world that is very rooted in its own opinions and my friends and family both are very rooted in their ways...in order to kind of take steps to make sure that my votes is my own opinion and is what I feel is right, I have made them aware and I am going to work really hard to stick to this, that I am not going to share my vote with anyone period.
I’m kind of the mind that no matter what happens, the world will keep spinning...I’m just an advocate for sitting down, if you meditate, meditate, if you pray, pray, if you read a book, read a book and just kind of relax a little bit because we’re all still going to be here on Wednesday...we should work to care for each other instead of hating each other, you know?"
Gwen Shetlar, 18, senior at Catalina Foothills High School
VIEW LARGER Gwen Shetlar, 18, senior at Catalina Foothills High School. "The abortion issue mattered a lot to me, especially since this is like a purple state and it’s a very partisan issue, it just seems really important that I vote on it. I just feel like access to abortion is a fundamental human right for women and it’s distressing that there are people that want to suppress it.
2016, there was that thing where Trump got in trouble for saying stuff about women. What was it, like “grab them by the [expletive]” or something? I guess for eight years now, I’ve been kind of distressed by how that didn’t bring him down as a politician like people were able to get past that.
What he was talking about is very sexual assault, which is a crime and you wouldn’t want a presidential candidate to commit crimes or seem to endorse crimes.
It is surprising how many people don’t vote, and I guess each one thinks that their one vote doesn’t really matter but then all those votes are added together, the vote, the people who don’t vote and then that’s a significant amount of people I would just think that everybody should vote if they can [and] meet the requirements."
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