Young Americans turning out to protest
Democrats hope they show up to vote
Quintez Brown took to the streets in Kentucky to join many Americans in protesting against racial injustice after the death of George Floyd, a Black man in police custody last month.
The 19-year-old student at the University of Louisville, who is Black, also texted voters in support of Charles Booker, a Black Democratic state lawmaker running for the U.S. Senate.
“The protests showed the importance of having someone in a political office who can actually advocate for us and make a change,” Brown said, adding it was his first time working on a political campaign.
The uprising after Floyd’s death under the knee of a white police officer on May 25 has helped fuel a groundswell of political energy, spurring new voter registrations, record turnout in Georgia and Kentucky primaries and a string of victories for a younger generation of candidates of color in Tuesday’s elections.
Democrats hope the enthusiasm can be sustained until the Nov. 3 general election, when former Vice President Joe Biden will challenge Republican President Donald Trump in a race that could hinge on the turnout of voters of color and young people.
Biden, whose foundering campaign was rescued by mostly older Black voters in South Carolina’s primary in February, wants their strong support against Trump. It will be crucial in battleground states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, particularly after the first dip in Black voter turnout in 20 years contributed to Democrat Hillary Clinton’s loss to Trump in 2016.
Biden also hopes to boost turnout among young voters, who often participate at lower rates than other ages. In 2016, voters between 18 and 29 had a turnout of just 46%, compared to 71% for those 65 years and older, Census figures show. That figure dropped from 2008’s historic election, when younger voters had a 51% turnout.
“There is not a part of the Democratic electorate that is not activated right now. And that energy is going to spill over into the general election,” said Matt Erwin, a Kentucky-based Democratic strategist.
Some groups that work to register voters have seen signs of that energy. Voto Latino, which looks to boost turnout for young Hispanics, said it has registered 94,513 voters so far in June, compared to 10,548 voters in May. About 78 per cent of new registrants were between the ages of 18 and 34, the group said.
Rock the Vote, which works to boost the political power of young people, said it had more than 183,000 new registrations so far in June. Four years ago this month, it had fewer than 35,000.
Jesse Moore, a Rock the Vote board member, said a new generation of voters is asking about their district attorneys and police chiefs.
“People are jaded about the presidency, but the changes they are demanding are almost completely driven by local officials,” Moore said.
Whether that energy will transform into Biden support remains to be seen. He is considering a Black running mate and has backed police reforms, including a ban on chokeholds.
Biden was also criticized during the Democratic primary campaign for his role as a U.S. senator in writing the 1994 crime bill, which critics say led to high incarceration rates that unfairly hit minorities, and some activists have pushed him to offer a broader criminal justice plan in the wake of the protests.