In the last presidential election, Democrats' support among young voters was their lowest in two decades. Two years later, polls show that 18-to-29-year-old voters are returning to the party in large numbers. In the most recent New York Times/Siena University poll of likely midterm voters, published Wednesday, 70 percent of young voters identified as Democrats or leaned that way.
That's 15 points higher than in the last poll before the 2024 election, and comparable to the 2008 election, when a youth wave helped Barack Obama to victory. Nationwide, young voters now favor the Democratic candidate for Congress in their district by 44 percentage points, compared with a 10-point margin two years ago. And just 16 percent approve of President Trump's job performance, at least 11 points lower than any other age group.
Young adults' dissatisfaction runs so deep that they are losing faith in the future of the country: 73 percent of them said it was on the wrong track in the earlier poll in September. Fifty-three percent fear the United States is in danger of failing as a nation; two years ago, just 38 percent of voters this age said that. Though younger adults are typically less likely to vote and are a smaller share of the electorate, even modest shifts in persuasion and turnout can decide tossup elections.
Young people's support for Democrats also shows up in state polls and in other recent polls, and is evident among both registered voters and likely voters. Across the most diverse generation in American history, one issue stood out: the economy. Ninety-four percent said economic conditions were poor or only fair in the national poll, more than any other age group.
And 86 percent disapproved of the way Mr. Trump has handled the economy. Young voters' frustrations don't stop with the economy. The Iran war was particularly unpopular: 87 percent disapproved, at least 11 points more than any other age group.
Nearly two-thirds of young voters said they were more sympathetic to the Palestinians than the Israelis in the September poll, and a similar share opposed U.S. support for Israel -- both significantly more than older generations.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing