First-Time Gen Z Voters Share How It Felt to Vote in the 2024 Presidential Election
I remember back in 2020 when, as a bright-eyed 18-year-old, I cast my first vote. I was a freshman at Georgetown University in D.C., and so I filled out an absentee ballot for Texas, where I’m from. After a somewhat complicated absentee ballot request process, my roommate and I practically skipped to the post box where we deposited the official envelopes containing our wishes, opinions, hopes, and dreams for the future of our country.
I felt giddy and powerful, like a real adult. First comes voting, I remember thinking, maybe next I’ll be meal prepping and applying for a mortgage!
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The Gen Z vote will be a consequential one in this election. For both the Harris and Trump campaigns, it’s worth capturing this generation’s attention. A full 41 million members of Gen Z will be eligible to vote this year — more than 8 million of those for the first time — which makes them one of the largest voting blocs.
From polling our GenZ council, we learned that around 80 percent of respondents believe their vote will make a difference. We also asked the Council which issues they feel most strongly about. Reproductive rights came out on top, followed by gun safety and the environment/climate change.
Now, this generation has the chance to make their voices heard. We reached out to members of our Gen Z council to ask about how it felt to actually cast their vote for the first time. Here’s what they had to say:
Stephanie, 21
“I voted by mail because I go to school in Upstate New York and I am registered to vote in Florida. It was a bit complicated to get my mail-in ballot at first, but I was really determined to exercise my right to vote (especially because it was my first time) so I started researching the process while I was in Florida so I could figure anything out in person if I needed to. I ended up requesting my mail-in ballot in August and I got it at the beginning of October. After that, I just sent it out and it was easy on that end — the hard part was definitely figuring out what forms to sign and such to get my mail-in ballot in the first place.
The experience was definitely overwhelming when I was voting because I did not feel super-educated on all the candidates on the Florida ballots. I think it really opened my eyes to exactly how much I need to focus on my state’s leaders and not just the country’s. There were many people I did not know of or their policies, so I am trying to change that for my next election. I think most people my age want to be educated on the issues that affect us. While I am excited I voted for the first time, I am nervous about what the future holds. I hope that there can be a peaceful transition of power no matter who wins. This has to be one of the most intense elections I have ever experienced in my life so I hope that America chooses correctly.”
John, 18
“I felt really good casting my mail-in ballot. It was pretty fun, to be honest. I wish there was a little more communication, like maybe a confirmation that my ballot was received. But overall, I was proud and felt important. It gave me confidence in our democracy. But for this election, I’d say I’m disappointed primarily in how much we have grown to hate one another. We have been pushing each other away for years now, and the consequences are now being seen. There is so much tension and anticipation, and all I hope for at this time is a peaceful transfer of power, with Kamala winning being the cherry on top.”
Miranda, 18
“I mailed in my ballot. I felt a strong sense of responsibility when filling out my ballot for the first time. It was the first time where I felt like I was giving back to my community and opened my eyes to the endless opportunities Gen Z has to contribute to our country. Watching all of my peers take time out of their college schedules to vote gives me hope that we can make a difference as a generation.”
Jackson, 18
“It was very surreal, but a lot less formal than I expected. It felt good knowing that I was participating in government and I felt more like a citizen, if that makes sense.”
Jack, 19
“I have lived through two elections that I remember fully, and I recall the energy of both of those days in 2016 and 2020 in my middle/high school and my home, but I’ve never seen firsthand the degree of mobilization and manpower that overtook my college campus today. Voter registration groups have already inundated Philly, but as I walked around today I could not go five steps without bumping into someone in a DNC shirt with a clipboard, and every student had some version of an ‘I Voted’ sticker. Also, the support for Kamala was wild to see — tons of signs all over the place, shirts, and other kinds of merch — remnants of her massive rally last night and the result of even more GOTV campaigning.”
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