Among the 4,700 delegates attending the Democratic National Convention, a significant number were young people experiencing their first major political event. Many of these young delegates told Noticias Telemundo that they felt more politically engaged after Vice President Kamala Harris entered the presidential race following President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw.
"Kamala Harris is really a symbol for us. She is the American dream," said Carolyn Salvador Avila, the national chair of the College Democrats of America. At just 20 years old, Salvador is the youngest delegate from Nevada.
Her 16-year-old brother, Julian Salvador Avila, is not yet eligible to vote but is contributing in other ways. "I would love to be able to vote, but the most I can do now is help Harris and Walz, educating people so they know what they can do for Latino people, young people, everyone," said Julian, who serves as the president of the High School Democrats of America in Spring Valley, Nevada.
This year, approximately 40 million members of Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012) are eligible to vote, which is 8 million more than in previous elections, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University. About 45% of these Gen Z voters are people of color, and of those, 8.8 million, or 22%, are Latino .
"The youth vote is going to be very important in this election," said Antonio Arellano, head of NextGen, an organization dedicated to registering young voters. Arellano noted that young Latinos are particularly focused on issues like abortion rights, immigration, climate change, and the economy.
Arellano also mentioned a surge in enthusiasm since Harris became the nominee: Following Biden's withdrawal, NextGen saw a 200% increase in volunteers helping to encourage voter turnout.
A recent Equis poll indicated that Harris has seen her greatest increase in support among young Latino voters compared to Biden. She currently holds 60% support among young Hispanics, compared to Biden's 43%.
Focus groups conducted by Voto Latino, a progressive civic engagement organization focused on young Latinos, revealed that more than half of young Hispanics who initially planned to vote for a third party would switch to the Democratic Party after Biden dropped out, according to the group's president, Maria Teresa Kumar.
However, Harris still faces the challenge of needing to reintroduce herself and clarify her positions on key issues. Indiana University political scientist Vanessa Cruz Nichols noted, "She will have to work aggressively to appeal to voters, especially young Latino voters who are more nonpartisan and more likely to either sit out an election or vote for a third-party candidate."
Santiago Mayer, founder of Voters of Tomorrow, a progressive organization aimed at mobilizing Gen Z voters, observed that there is widespread enthusiasm for Harris's campaign among young voters. "The enthusiasm has been so great in the last three weeks that the biggest challenge we are facing right now is that we have too much interest," Mayer said. "We have received more applications to join our chapter network in the last three weeks than we have received in the entire year."
Mayer, who is of Mexican heritage, added, "I think we are clearly seeing young people slowly becoming more interested and involved in politics—and it is still mostly for survival reasons because young people are very clear that the issues we face are life-or-death issues, just like guns and climate change."
One of the challenges has been adapting to the various types of information that Latinos consume on social media, given the "fragmented information ecosystem," with some relying on TikTok or other traditional media.
Mayer said Voters of Tomorrow plans to make 20 million contacts, including phone calls, text messages, and in-person interactions before the November 5 election, with one million of these focused on reproductive rights and abortion, emphasizing the importance of these issues to young voters.
For Armando Ibarra, chair of the Miami Young Republicans, the issues driving young Latinos to support former President Donald Trump are rooted in dissatisfaction with the current administration's performance. Many young people, he says, are "disillusioned with the results of the current administration" and have felt the impact of inflation and the rising cost of living. They are looking for change, Ibarra explains.
Ibarra also notes that Trump’s “energy” and his resilience in overcoming a shooting and an assassination attempt have inspired many young voters.
“We’re working to get young people out to vote in the upcoming elections. We’ve seen a significant shift in South Florida compared to a decade ago when Democrats had a clear advantage. That’s no longer the case,” Ibarra added.
To reach young voters, Ibarra's team is organizing events and engaging directly through emails, text messages, and social media. "We also involve them in political change, lawmaking, and community impact," he said.
Both Republican and Democratic campaigns are leveraging social media influencers popular with young audiences. Latino influencer Carlos Eduardo Espina, a law school graduate with 14 million YouTube followers, spoke at last week’s Democratic convention, discussing immigration issues.
Meanwhile, Preeghory Patiño, 22, canvasses in Orange County, Florida, for Mi Vecino, a progressive group focused on voter mobilization and education. Since Biden stepped down and Harris became the Democratic nominee, Patiño has noticed increased support for Harris. “Every time we knock on doors and ask about her candidacy, many people express their support,” he said, adding that women are particularly enthusiastic, seeing Harris as a potential first female president.
Mi Vecino is also highlighting Florida’s Amendment 4, which would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, as a key issue for voters this November.
Since 2016, young voters have consistently broken records: around 50% of those aged 18 to 29 voted in the 2020 presidential election, an increase of 11 percentage points from 2016, making it one of the highest youth voter turnouts. In 2022, young voter turnout was the second highest in midterm elections over the past 30 years.
In that same election cycle, 68% of young voters supported Democratic candidates across various races, from the House and Senate to governorships. “Young people strongly supported Democratic candidates in state elections,” said Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, director of CIRCLE. “Their participation kept races close and, in some cases, determined the outcome.”
With tight races in battleground states, campaigns and organizations are focused on mobilizing this crucial voting bloc and ensuring their voices are heard.