Latest news with #voterengagement
ABC News
28-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Election volunteers say they experienced abuse and aggression at polling booths
Australia prides itself on its orderly elections with high voter engagement, but something else was going in this time with volunteers claiming more than usual incidents of bullying and harassment at the polls. 7.30's political editor Laura Tingle reports. Statements.
LBCI
25-05-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
President Aoun praises municipal election success, urges 'teamwork' among new officials
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun congratulated the winners of the recent municipal and mukhtar elections and praised the efforts of the ministries of interior, defense, justice, security forces, and all those involved in the electoral process. The president praised the successful elections, saying they reaffirm the vitality of Lebanese democracy and the people's commitment to building their country. Addressing the newly elected officials, Aoun urged them to live up to their voters' expectations and work together as a team for a stronger, more prosperous Lebanon that honors its sacrifices and rich history. The president also stressed the importance of learning from past mistakes during the election process. He said the government must work diligently to ensure the next parliamentary elections are free from irregularities, which requires reviewing some laws and ensuring readiness in election organization and management.
CNN
20-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Less engaged voters were key to Trump's 2024 victory, new analysis finds
President Donald Trump's 2024 victory rested on support from voters who are less engaged with politics, an assessment of the election based on newly available voter file data confirms, as Democratic nominee Kamala Harris saw weakened support and lower turnout compared with 2020 from a range of typically Democratic-leaning groups, including young voters, voters of color and urban voters. The new analysis, from the Democratic-leaning data firm Catalist, bolsters the case that consistent voters are increasingly Democratic in the Trump era. It finds that nearly half of the 2024 electorate was made up of deeply engaged voters, who cast ballots in each of the past four federal elections. This group's share of the electorate was 9 points higher than in 2020 and 7 points higher than in 2016. Harris won just under 50% of these regular voters, outperforming both 2020 Democratic nominee Joe Biden and 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton. But those gains were broadly offset by significant shifts away from Democrats among those who vote less regularly. While both Clinton and Biden won 54% or more of those who voted in two or fewer of the four most recent federal elections, Harris carried only about 48% of those voters. Harris also won less than half of those who did not cast ballots in 2020 but did in 2024, while Biden and Clinton each carried roughly 55% of such new voters in their elections. Those irregular voters are more likely to be from groups that are typically Democratic-leaning: They are younger, less White and more urban than regular voters. But they are also less likely to have college degrees, a trait increasingly tied to Republican support. All of these groups shifted away from the Democratic candidate in the 2024 election. 'No single demographic characteristic explains all the dynamics of the election; rather we find that the election is best explained as a combination of related factors,' the report's authors note. These conclusions come from Catalist, a company that maintains a nationwide voter list and provides data, analytics and other services to Democrats, academics and nonprofit advocacy groups. By using voter file information drawn from election officials and campaign data, the analysis can provide a clearer picture of turnout and voting behavior than some surveys, since it is not dependent on voters to remember whether they voted in elections over time. At the same time, partisan preferences and some demographics are derived from modeling using geographic information, survey results and other data, which can be less precise than self-reported information. The results from the Catalist assessment largely mirror the findings of 2024 exit polls on the demographic makeup of the electorate and on how key groups voted. This analysis adds key information about turnout, and a more solid read on new and infrequent voters than surveys can provide. Election officials in many places take several months to make public final turnout records for individual voters, and this is the first major nationwide analysis from 2024 voter file data to be released. Catalist's estimates of vote preference suggest a significant gender gap, with declining Democratic support among men across race and ethnicity, and a particularly steep drop among younger men and Latino men. The analysis also shows steeper drops in Democratic support in the most urban parts of the country compared with each of the past four presidential elections. To make comparable comparisons across elections, the Catalist report focuses on what's called two-way vote share, the split between Democratic and Republican votes within each subgroup, ignoring those who voted for third-party or independent candidates. By that metric, Harris lost 9 points compared with Biden among Latino voters overall, 6 points among all voters younger than 30, 5 points among men, and 5 points among those who do not vote in every election. These subsets broadly overlap, and when combined, suggest starkly lower support among groups that have often been deeply Democratic. For example, Harris' support dropped 12 points compared with Biden and 19 points compared with Clinton among Latino voters younger than 30. Drops in support for Harris also extend beyond these key groups. While Harris generally maintained Democratic support among women, including White and Black women, she did lose support among Latina women and Asian American and Pacific Islander women. Her numbers were down slightly compared with Biden or Clinton among all voters younger than 65, even as she improved slightly on Clinton's support among seniors. Polling conducted around Trump's 100-day mark in office, though, suggests he has not held on to newfound support among these groups. Those drop-offs and the increasing Democratic advantage with more frequent voters signal that Republican performance in battleground states and districts in upcoming gubernatorial and congressional elections could look quite different from Trump's 2024 win.
CNN
20-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Less engaged voters were key to Trump's 2024 victory, new analysis finds
President Donald Trump's 2024 victory rested on support from voters who are less engaged with politics, an assessment of the election based on newly available voter file data confirms, as Democratic nominee Kamala Harris saw weakened support and lower turnout compared with 2020 from a range of typically Democratic-leaning groups, including young voters, voters of color and urban voters. The new analysis, from the Democratic-leaning data firm Catalist, bolsters the case that consistent voters are increasingly Democratic in the Trump era. It finds that nearly half of the 2024 electorate was made up of deeply engaged voters, who cast ballots in each of the past four federal elections. This group's share of the electorate was 9 points higher than in 2020 and 7 points higher than in 2016. Harris won just under 50% of these regular voters, outperforming both 2020 Democratic nominee Joe Biden and 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton. But those gains were broadly offset by significant shifts away from Democrats among those who vote less regularly. While both Clinton and Biden won 54% or more of those who voted in two or fewer of the four most recent federal elections, Harris carried only about 48% of those voters. Harris also won less than half of those who did not cast ballots in 2020 but did in 2024, while Biden and Clinton each carried roughly 55% of such new voters in their elections. Those irregular voters are more likely to be from groups that are typically Democratic-leaning: They are younger, less White and more urban than regular voters. But they are also less likely to have college degrees, a trait increasingly tied to Republican support. All of these groups shifted away from the Democratic candidate in the 2024 election. 'No single demographic characteristic explains all the dynamics of the election; rather we find that the election is best explained as a combination of related factors,' the report's authors note. These conclusions come from Catalist, a company that maintains a nationwide voter list and provides data, analytics and other services to Democrats, academics and nonprofit advocacy groups. By using voter file information drawn from election officials and campaign data, the analysis can provide a clearer picture of turnout and voting behavior than some surveys, since it is not dependent on voters to remember whether they voted in elections over time. At the same time, partisan preferences and some demographics are derived from modeling using geographic information, survey results and other data, which can be less precise than self-reported information. The results from the Catalist assessment largely mirror the findings of 2024 exit polls on the demographic makeup of the electorate and on how key groups voted. This analysis adds key information about turnout, and a more solid read on new and infrequent voters than surveys can provide. Election officials in many places take several months to make public final turnout records for individual voters, and this is the first major nationwide analysis from 2024 voter file data to be released. Catalist's estimates of vote preference suggest a significant gender gap, with declining Democratic support among men across race and ethnicity, and a particularly steep drop among younger men and Latino men. The analysis also shows steeper drops in Democratic support in the most urban parts of the country compared with each of the past four presidential elections. To make comparable comparisons across elections, the Catalist report focuses on what's called two-way vote share, the split between Democratic and Republican votes within each subgroup, ignoring those who voted for third-party or independent candidates. By that metric, Harris lost 9 points compared with Biden among Latino voters overall, 6 points among all voters younger than 30, 5 points among men, and 5 points among those who do not vote in every election. These subsets broadly overlap, and when combined, suggest starkly lower support among groups that have often been deeply Democratic. For example, Harris' support dropped 12 points compared with Biden and 19 points compared with Clinton among Latino voters younger than 30. Drops in support for Harris also extend beyond these key groups. While Harris generally maintained Democratic support among women, including White and Black women, she did lose support among Latina women and Asian American and Pacific Islander women. Her numbers were down slightly compared with Biden or Clinton among all voters younger than 65, even as she improved slightly on Clinton's support among seniors. Polling conducted around Trump's 100-day mark in office, though, suggests he has not held on to newfound support among these groups. Those drop-offs and the increasing Democratic advantage with more frequent voters signal that Republican performance in battleground states and districts in upcoming gubernatorial and congressional elections could look quite different from Trump's 2024 win.
Forbes
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
Engaging Young Voters In Off-Year Election Cycles
New Jersey is one of five states that hold elections for statewide office in odd-numbered years, meaning New Jerseyans never have a year off from voting. Young people, especially first-time voters, need to be engaged every year. Gen Z makes up nearly one-fifth of the American electorate, and voted at historically high rates in the last two presidential elections. Nationally, youth engagement in elections is increasing; however, participation and voter turnout in New Jersey's off-year elections is much lower — including for our youngest voters. Based on recent voting rates, it's expected that the 2025 New Jersey gubernatorial race will again attract a low percentage of youth voters, even as state elections become increasingly more impactful for youth and college students. The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) is a public institution home to about 7,000 undergraduate students. Because more than 90% of TCNJ students are in-state, the TCNJ Votes initiative works year-round to support nonpartisan voter engagement efforts and promote civic engagement and voter education on campus. A cross-campus collaboration, we have representation from the Student Government, the Office of Leadership, and the Center for Community Engagement. TCNJ Votes Fellows Jaclyn Romano, Andrew LaMonte, and Sarah Kasziba-O'Rahilly tabling in the TCNJ Student Center ahead of the November 2024 election. Yunuen Bonaparte for The Hechinger Report TCNJ Votes employs a variety of strategies to meet students where they are, including incorporating nonpartisan voter education modules into platforms used by the entire campus community, hosting frequent tables in the Student Center where students can speak with our trained student leaders about voting, and partnering with faculty and student organizations to host nonpartisan voter registration and education events. Student voters want to be engaged, and something as simple as adding a prize wheel to our table has increased foot traffic at our tabling events. These efforts have certainly paid off: in 2020, TCNJ had a student voting rate of 83.1% — an impressive 17 points above the national average across all institutions. We also won first place in the NJ Ballot Bowl in our division in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Still, low media coverage of off-year elections leads to a dropoff in student voter engagement. According to our 2022 NSLVE Campus Report, our voting rate was 21.9% — 61.2 points lower than the 2020 election, and 13.2 points lower than the 2018 midterms. With this in mind, we began implementing new strategies in 2024 to increase student voter participation every year, not just during presidential and midterm elections. Peer-to-peer or 'relational organizing' is the most effective and meaningful way to motivate students to participate in the democratic process. In 2024, with support from the Ask Every Student Implementation Grant, we developed a cohort of TCNJ Voting Fellows — student leaders who collaborate with student organizations and faculty to improve student voter engagement. Students hosted over a dozen successful events and informational social media campaigns, collectively reaching 308 students over the course of one semester. Reflecting on her time as a fellow, Sarah Kasziba-O'Rahilly said, 'TCNJ Votes gave me the opportunity to have open conversations with people on my campus through tabling and events and removed the tension that comes with talking politics. Being a nonpartisan organization was also a learning experience, helping students make informed decisions without involving personal biases.' Her reflection emphasizes the importance of meeting college voters where they are, and allowing them to guide conversations about voting and ask TCNJ Votes for support. We encourage the TCNJ Voting Fellows to seek out ways to connect with students on issues they are passionate about and help them understand how their vote is a powerful advocacy tool for these issues. For example, TCNJ Votes Fellow Cathy Zheng hosted 'Boba and Ballots,' an event cosponsored by the Chinese Students Association on campus. She provided sweets for students while they came to fill out their mail-in ballot applications. The event allowed Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) students to connect with each other and discuss topics specific to their interests and passions, and drew in the second-highest headcount we saw for a TCNJ Votes event. Building community spaces has become a staple of successful TCNJ Votes events. Terrell Osei-Kyei, another TCNJ Votes Fellow, hosted an event called 'People, Policy, and Planet.' Terrell brought together the environmental club, the humanitarian engineering club, the engineering department, and local government officials working in areas of sustainability. This nonpartisan event attracted the most attendees of any TCNJ Votes event and prompted students to learn how their vote can impact our environment and the planet for future generations. Throughout the semester, the Fellows helped students — who initially described themselves as uninterested in voting — have 'lightbulb moments' when they saw the issues they cared about connected to the democratic process. Some of the lessons learned from the Fellow's inaugural year may seem obvious: free food and prizes draw students in, no matter the event; planning events in the evenings or on non-class days improves attendance; and coordinating and co-sponsoring with student organizations garners more attention on social media and higher attendance rates at events. But other takeaways were unexpected, and will help shape how we engage students in 2025. Gen Z youth are craving community and a space not just to be talked at, but to be a part of the conversation. While panel discussions and keynote speakers drew smaller crowds, community-building events like the Boba and Sustainability events drew in more students and increased the likelihood of attendees returning to future TCNJ Votes events. TCNJ Votes Fellow Terrell Osei-Kyei and other New Jersey college students discuss voter engagement at the second annual NJ Voting Summit at Princeton University. Courtesy of the Dean of Undergraduate Students at Princeton University Due to the success of our inaugural fellows, we've decided to set aside institutional funding to continue the TCNJ Voting Fellows program this summer and fall regardless of grant awards and maintain the momentum in our community. Currently, our efforts are focused on educating students about the gubernatorial primary, how they can register and vote in this election, and where they can find further resources to learn more about the candidates. As part of our educational process, we are sharing nonpartisan fact sheets with dates and information on how state and local government impacts the issues students care about. We highlight how state and local elections will impact things like gun control, environmental sustainability, funding for higher education, and access to healthcare — issues that we know our students are passionate about. Student leaders are trained to engage their peers on these topics while refraining from giving advice on which candidates or issues to support. The idea is simply to get the conversation started so that our trained students can then help their peers check their registration, make a plan to vote, and spread the word to their friends. With less than a month until the 2025 New Jersey gubernatorial primaries on June 10, 2025, now is the time for campus leaders to prioritize nonpartisan voter engagement. Each year in New Jersey is a new opportunity to engage first-time voters and encourage students to participate in our democratic system, putting their education and experience into practice as active and engaged citizens. Civic engagement efforts can no longer simply tell students to vote. We must utilize peer-to-peer leadership, engage with young voters on the issues most important to them, and continue this engagement 365 days a year — not just once every four years. The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) is one of more than 1000 colleges and universities currently participating in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. Learn more about ALL IN and support our work here.
