Opinion

Why are Gen Z voters souring on Biden? I decided to ask them about that frustration.

Sara Pequeño, USA TODAY
Sun, May 12, 2024

If you ask any person who follows politics, they’re likely to say that Gen Z voter turnout is making them anxious. At least, that’s what the headlines and polls are telling us.

A February Axios poll found that 58% of voters ages 18-34 are unsure if they’ll vote in November. A March Harvard youth survey found that just 53% of 18- to 29-year-olds definitely plan to vote this fall, compared with that age group’s 2020 voter turnout rate of 68%.

That means roughly half of those ages 18-29 are on the fence about voting or do not plan to vote in November. While polls don't always translate to real life, these numbers should concern Democrats who relied on younger voters in 2020 and beyond.


With the help of Twitter and Instagram, I heard from three Gen Z members who don’t intend to vote in this presidential election. All three happen to be from North Carolina, where there’s also a consequential governor’s race and other local elections this fall.

Here’s what they had to say about why they're on the fence this year. I was surprised at how much each had considered this decision. After speaking with them, I think it's perfectly reasonable for President Joe Biden to be fearful of losing the presidency in November because to win, he'll need Generation Z, those born between 1997 to 2012.
The Gen Z voter who is standing on principles

Michael Murphy, 27, is a bartender and member of the Triangle chapter of Democratic Socialists of America. He says he voted for Biden out of pragmatism in 2020, but the country’s aid to Israel has changed his tune.

“Seeing the complicity and active engagement in the bombing of Palestinians, our brothers and sisters overseas – it's abominable,” Murphy tells me. “I think it's truly disgusting.”

He plans to vote in races down the ballot but not for any elected officials taking money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, including Rep. Valerie Foushee, who represents his district in the U.S. Congress.

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He would change his vote if there were policy changes to stop sending weapons to Israel but fears it’s too late for that to happen. Since our conversation, the president has said that he'll pause a weapons shipment to Israel if it invades Rafah, where more than a million Palestinian civilians are sheltering in southern Gaza. Murphy says it’s a “small bit of hope,” but he still isn’t ready to support the president.

“We understand the stakes are high, but politics is about principles and materiality,” Murphy tells me.
The Gen Z voter who won't automatically vote blue this year

Teresa Purello, 23

Teresa Purello, a 23-year-old graduate student, never used the phrase “vote blue no matter who,” but it is how they felt in 2020. They texted friends to make sure they knew which precinct they were assigned. It was the first time they could vote in a presidential election.

This year, they’re considering not voting for the presidency. They voted “no preference” in North Carolina’s Democratic primary election on Super Tuesday and still intend to vote in local races this fall.

“There was hope with voting for Biden in 2020,” Purello tells me. “But voting for him now, it doesn't have that at all. There’s no appeal.”

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For Purello, the deaths in Gaza and loss of abortion access on Biden’s watch despite his vow to protect abortion rights are reasons they don’t plan on voting for him. Instead, they’re considering third-party candidates, as they also have issues with the two-party system in general.

“Everyone always says voting is a way to get your voice to be heard, which is true,” Purello says of Gen Z constituents. “But thousands of young people are actively choosing to sit out an election – that is also making a statement.”
The Gen Z voter on the fence on Biden

Ellen Perleberg, a 25-year-old graduate student, is on the fence about voting this fall. She says she hated Biden in 2020, and hates him even more now.

“I’m not convinced the Trump response to Gaza would be any worse than Biden’s,” Perleberg tells me. “If you want to sell me on making sure that I vote, making sure that my generation votes, show me meaningful ways that it would be different and not just say rhetoric.”

Despite her dislike of the president, Perleberg votes in local elections. She notes that they matter more in North Carolina than in Washington, her home state.
So what does Gen Z actually care about this election?

These three voters are likely outliers, even among other members of Gen Z. The Harvard youth survey found that the biggest concerns for those ages 18-29 are economic issues, not the Israel-Hamas war.

This isn’t to say that Gen Z doesn’t care about the conflict – 21% of those surveyed say they believe the United States should be more of an ally to Palestinians, and 51% support a permanent cease-fire. It just isn’t the top concern.

The progressives who don’t vote for Biden are making the same decision that Republican moderates who refuse to vote for former President Donald Trump will make this November. They see this as the best option in a system where neither candidate is one they'd like to support. Because of this, Democrats shouldn't necessarily rely on the party's youngest voters this election cycle, just like Trump should not expect every Republican to vote for him.

It doesn’t mean that they are uneducated or apathetic; in fact, none of the people I spoke with are sitting out this election altogether. They just aren’t sure Biden has earned their vote.

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Each person I spoke with also shared that their friends held similar views about not voting in the presidential election or choosing to vote third party.

It’s possible that the momentum voters felt in 2020 has petered out. Voter turnout among those ages 18-29 increased by 8 percentage points between the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, according to data from the Brookings Institution. It’s possible that the pandemic year was a fluke, and that this year’s voter turnout will be much different.

Although these are just anecdotes, they show that Democrats should genuinely be worried about how their actions now will affect Biden’s electability come November.

Follow USA TODAY elections columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter, @sara__pequeno and Facebook facebook.com/PequenoWrites

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden's stance on Israel continues to frustrate Gen Z voters