Young people feel anxious about election
WASHINGTON — Engaged? Check. Anxious? Check.
With weeks to go until the November midterm elections, more young Americans are interested but, according to a new poll, they’re also feeling more anxious about the results.
A poll released Wednesday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and MTV found more young people now say they are feeling anxious about the midterms, compared to July. Nearly half of young Americans ages 15 to 34 now say they are anxious about the midterms, up from 36 percent in the earlier poll.
The increase is most pronounced among young Democrats: 61 percent expressed anxiety compared with 39 percent in July.
Young voters could play a critical role in the elections, which will determine whether Republicans will maintain their full grip on Congress. But the big question is whether they will show up to the polls. Young voters rarely turn out in numbers that match their share of the population, especially in years when a presidential candidate isn’t on the ballot.
That’s leaving some voters nervous about what to expect. Tia Green, a 33-yearold from Lexington Park, Maryland, said she was worried the election could inflame an already divided political culture. It’s an issue she’s especially sensitive to after recently seeing posts from a friend on social media that offended her.
“In the end, I ended up de-friending her without any confrontation or anything. But I was kind of saddened by it,” said Green, who described herself as a moderate Democrat. “Her views in general were completely disappointing, upsetting and it is hard to deal.”
Anxiety about November’s elections also grew among independents: 43 percent now describe themselves as anxious, compared with 31 percent in July. Among Republicans, about one-third say they are anxious about the midterms, roughly the same share that said so this summer.
John Laubacker, 32, of Rockport, New York, said he was “appalled” by the state of politics heading into the midterm elections.
“Political polarization is at an all-time high. Nobody wants to be civil with anybody,” he said. “Until they figure out that you have to work together whether you like them or not, they’re not going to get anything done.”
Laubacker, who identified as a moderate Republican, said he was frustrated by mudslinging by both parties.
“You keep hearing, ‘If the Republicans win, the country’s doomed. If the Democrats get enough people in, they’re going to impeach the president,’” he said. “They’re all worried about their own agendas and the agendas of their big-moneyed contributors. Nobody gives a crap about small people anymore.”
Though young voters participate in elections at low rates, the poll suggests they are now paying closer attention than they were several months ago.
Roughly two-thirds of those ages 15 to 34 now say they are interested in the elections, compared with about four in 10 in July. Interest is highest among young Democrats. Seventy-three percent of young Democrats say they are interested in the elections, up from 50 percent in July. A smaller majority of Republicans — 62 percent — say they are interested today, but that’s still up dramatically from 31 percent who said so in July.