Voters wait in line to cast their ballots at a polling place in Scottsdale, Arizona, on November 5.

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In recent years, voters under 30 have proven important to stay on the sidelines, especially for Democrats, where even the smallest shifts in support can determine the outcome of the election.

This was a group that Vice President Harris hoped would be part of the winning coalition this year. Instead, it underperformed and President-elect Trump profited.

Democratic candidates have been winning since 2008 have at least 60% Despite the support of young voters, Harris failed to meet this threshold and received 54 percent of the votes. early exit polls.

This was a particularly pronounced loss in the blue wall states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania; here the vice president’s margins have fallen significantly from President Biden’s lead four years ago.

Michigan experienced the biggest change. Harris and Trump received equal shares (49 percent to 49 percent) of youth support in the state; This is a significant 24-point decrease from 2020.

Young voters prioritize wallet issues

After years of setting the Trump agenda, Harris had just over 100 days to offer an alternative option, and it’s unclear how much of it reached young Americans during that time.

Final one month before election day Youth-focused survey from the University of Chicago pointed out a potential knowledge gap. While nearly 80 percent of those under 40 said they “pretty much know” what they need to know about Trump, only 57 percent said so about Harris.

John Della Volpe has been studying youth policy for more than two decades and previously worked on Biden’s 2020 campaign. He argued that the election results point to disconnects in the way Harris appeals to young people, especially on issues related to the economy.

“From the first focus groups I conducted this year, there was an innate sense that young people’s personal financial situations were better and would be better under Trump,” said Della Volpe, who serves as director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute. Politics.

“Nothing Democrats have done over the last year has really changed that perspective,” he added.

Harris has made protecting access to abortion a central part of her campaign. This is a problem encouraged young voters to take action for democrats last elections.

However, in this election, voters under the age of 30 are most likely to say the economy and jobs come first, while abortion comes second. Associated Press.

Trump won over the majority of those who chose the economy as their top concern.

Gender gap was more pronounced among younger voters

Trump made significant gains among young men, According to AP’s exit pollHe won 56% of the vote compared to just 41% in 2020.

According to Della Volpe, this is part of a trend he has been following for years; A significant number of young men, especially those who grew up with Trump, feel disconnected from the modern Democratic Party.

“They tell us in our surveys and focus groups that the Democratic Party is not talking to them. They choose not to depend on it. “This is something that cannot be reversed in 30 days or 100 days,” he said. “Doing this takes years of investment. Donald Trump made this investment. “And I think a lot of that playing field has been seeded by Democrats.”

Young women took a break for Harris. Won the group by 18 points; but still by a smaller margin than four years ago.

Comparing Harris and Trump’s sentiments

Before Biden withdrew from the presidential race, he had largely lost his favor with young voters and suffering inside surveys. When Harris bought the ticket, he saw this: increase in support. Something about this campaign We have tried to channel progress both online and in person, This included embracing the viral meme culture around his candidacy.

However, although Harris has both student organizing program and an extensive social media presence To connect with young Americans as Election Day approaches voting numbers there was still fall short Biden’s standing in 2020 is with this group.

According to Trump, youth support remained mostly online.

During the summer, He was the only major Republican to join TikTok – where the number of followers has now increased to 14 million; that’s higher than Harris’, who has 5 million followers. Trump also did a number of things extended interviews On some of the best podcasts in the country, most popular among young men.

This was all part of a youth strategy that Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk told NPR was easily accomplished.

“The goal, of course, was to lose less,” said Kirk, whose organization focuses on getting young people involved in conservative politics. “But for the last few weeks we’ve been whispering to each other that something bigger might happen.”

Turning Point’s advocacy organization, which focuses not only on youth, was one of several outside groups selected by the Trump campaign to conduct on-the-ground organizing efforts.

Kirk added that Trump’s connection with young voters goes beyond traditional appeals on political issues.

“They just want to live in the same country as their parents. “I don’t know if this is a social problem or an economic problem,” he said. “They want a good life and they feel like it’s slipping away from them.”

“It’s more of a vibe than anything else, I would say,” he said, alluding to Harris’ campaign. he added. “They certainly didn’t read the room during an entire campaign built on vibes.”