NewsWire: 1/30/21
- According to early estimates, voter turnout among eligible 18- to 29-year-olds in the 2020 election was between 52% and 55%. Young voters overwhelmingly supported Biden, and all signs point to continuing high levels of participation. (CIRCLE)
- NH: Back in October, I predicted that the 2020 election was on track for a historic youth turnout. (See “Are We on Track for Historic Youth Turnout in 2020?”) And sure enough, preliminary data show that it was the highest in decades, coming in at 52-55%. Turnout was on par with the previous record set in 1972, the year that 18- to 20-year-olds became eligible to vote. (The exact 1972 youth turnout is debated, but is assumed to be around 55%.)
- Not surprisingly, youth voters strongly favored the Democratic candidate. Adjusting for third parties, Biden won 62.5% of young adults. That’s the second-highest share in recent history; in 2008, Obama won 67.3%. Gone are the days when Gen-Xers were in their early 20s--and when the youth vote could swing big toward the Republican Party. (In 1984, 59% of young voters cast their ballot for Ronald Reagan.) With a new generation comes a new mood.
- Evidence suggests that young adults will continue to vote in large numbers. This CIRCLE survey found that 84% believe that they have “the power to change the country,” and 80% believe they have a responsibility to be involved in the political process. IMO, until one party begins dominating elections, young adults will keep showing up.
- For a more in-depth look at voter participation and exit polls for the 2020 election, take a look at the recent presentation I did with JT Taylor: “Election 2020: The Ghosts of Elections Past, Present, and Future.” We leave no stone unturned.
Did You Know?
- Having a Pickleball. What’s the hottest sport in America? Pickleball. That’s according to a recent report from the Sport & Fitness Industry Association, which noted that in the five years to the end of 2019, pickleball participation grew by more than 7%, while Americans’ overall activity level remained flat. The estimated number of pickleball players is around 3.5 million, which is about one-tenth the number of golfers and one-fifth the number of tennis players. But enthusiasts believe it’s just a matter of time before pickleball catches up. The sport, which is a mash-up of tennis, ping-pong, and badminton, is easy to learn and play; it’s possible to set up your own court at home with some chalk and a makeshift net. This has made pickleball a natural fit for multigenerational families stuck in quarantine. Fully 64% of regular players, in fact, are age 55 or older, so it’s likely that it’s the grandparents who are now introducing pickleball to their grandkids.
