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A Pew Research Study projects Generation Z and Millennials will make up 37% of the vote nationwide.
“Young people make up the largest and most diverse group of potential voters in the history of the country,” said Mia Tontodonati.
Tontodonati is in her first semester interning for NMPIRG as the social media coordinator and is involved with the New Voters Project.
The Project is targeting younger generations to help them get registered to vote, especially college students here in New Mexico.
“We try to reach out to them through phone banking, emailing, calling, social media, because right now that's really the only way to do it. And so, college students I think have been our biggest focus, because they can vote and they should vote,” said Tontodonati.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports 18- to 29-year-old voter turnout went from 19.9 percent in 2014 to 35.6 percent in 2018. That's the largest percentage increase for any age group.
Before the elections take place, both the New Mexico Democratic and Republican Parties are using new strategies to reach out to young voters. Republican Party Chair Steve Pearce says safety and economic issues are of great concern.
“For the Republican Party of New Mexico, just the thing that we're noticing right now people are alarmed about their safety, and they're also alarmed about their economic security. As you deal with the kids in college, then you're talking about the jobs again,” said Chairman Pearce.
In a statement. The Democratic Party of New Mexico says it is working to create...
“a New Mexico where everyone has access to quality, affordable health care, students are able to get a great education, and jobs pay a living wage,” said Nikki Otake, New Mexico for All Organizing Director
About a half a million of New Mexico's more than two million residents are 18 to 39.
A 2019 Pew Research Study found that 90% of 18 to 29-year-olds use at least one social media site to communicate on a daily basis.
And Republican Chair Steve Pearce says that means the party must adapt.
“We use young people heavily and those management teams and the teams that are making decisions, and that word gets around. The communication is a different style than it might be if I were doing the total communication,” said Chairman Pearce.
The Democratic Party of New Mexico says it's using the online video platform Zoom and other forms of social media to reach young voters.
NMPIRG is a non-partisan organization that has been reaching out to youth voters on college campuses for more than 25 years and Mia Tontodanti sees a rise in student involvement.
“I think generally students have been very excited to vote, as far as I've seen. I think that this is a really big election for everybody, and everyone has things that matter to them in this election so everyone, especially young people, I think are really excited to get out and vote this November,” said Tontodonati.
Pearce says he's seeing more young people who identify with Republican positions.
“a lot of young people are saying wait. We've watched the Internet, and we're kind of believing it. Now I find we're actually very conservative we like the traditional values, we like the family, we like the organization of the free market and our opportunities,” said Chairman Pearce.
Democrats are counting on an increase in voter turnout among young people and minorities. Pew Research reports a third of eligible voters will be non-white in 2020, up from about a quarter in 2000.