Voters ages 18-29 backed Democratic House candidates by 65% to 31% in the 2026 midterms, a 34-point margin, and cast 11% of all ballots. These US Gen Z & youth turnout statistics are early: Tufts University CIRCLE had not yet published its official 2026 youth turnout rate on November 4, 2026.
US Gen Z & Youth Turnout Statistics 2026 – Introduction
US Gen Z & youth turnout statistics for 2026 tell a story about direction more than size. Voters under 30 made up about 11% of the electorate, and they leaned Democratic by 34 points. That is the strongest youth preference for Democrats since 2018, when the margin hit 35 points. It also reverses 2024, when young voters split almost evenly between the parties.
This report covers vote choice by age, gender, race, education and geography, plus state-level youth support and turnout history. Most figures come from Tufts University CIRCLE and the NORC Civic Health & Elections Project, with comparisons from the AP Voter Poll. Exit-style data shifts as counts finish. CIRCLE’s own 2022 youth turnout estimate fell from 27% to 23% after voter files arrived, so treat every 2026 number here as preliminary.
Interesting Facts About US Gen Z & Youth Turnout in 2026
Youth (18-29) vote for US House candidates, 2026 (%)
Democratic | ████████████████████████████████████████ 65
Republican | ██████████████████ 31| Fact | 2026 Data |
|---|---|
| Election day | November 3, 2026 |
| Youth vote for Democratic House candidates | 65% |
| Youth vote for Republican House candidates | 31% |
| Youth Democratic margin | 34 points |
| Youth share of all votes | 11% (12% in 2022) |
| Young women voting Democratic | 70% |
| Young men voting Democratic | 59% |
| Young men who backed Trump in 2024 | 56% |
| Registered voters under 30 | 49 million |
| Youth who said they were “extremely likely” to vote | 56% |
| Official 2026 youth turnout rate | Not yet released |
Source: Tufts University CIRCLE analysis of NORC Civic Health & Elections Project data, and CIRCLE and When We All Vote survey data, November 4, 2026.
The table shows a lopsided youth vote and a modest youth share. Young voters picked Democrats 65% to 31%, yet they were only 11% of all votes, down from 12% in 2022. A smaller share does not mean low turnout. CIRCLE notes that the youth share can fall when turnout is very high across the whole electorate.
The pre-election survey matters too. 56% of the 49 million registered voters under 30 called themselves extremely likely to vote. In 2018, only 34% said so, and actual turnout reached 28%. In 2024, 54% said so and turnout hit 47%. The 2026 turnout rate is the one number still missing.
Youth Vote Choice by Age Group 2026: Under-30 Democratic Surge
Democratic share of the 2026 US House vote by age group (%)
Ages 18-29 | ████████████████████████████████████████████ 65
Ages 30-44 | ██████████████████████████████████████ 56
Ages 65+ | ██████████████████████████████████ 52
Ages 45-64 | █████████████████████████████████ 51| Age Group | Democratic % | Republican % | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ages 18-29 | 65 | 31 | D+34 |
| Ages 30-44 | 56 | n/a | n/a |
| Ages 45-64 | 51 | 46 | D+5 |
| Ages 65+ | 52 | 46 | D+6 |
Source: Tufts University CIRCLE analysis of NORC Civic Health & Elections Project data, November 4, 2026.
Young voters gave Democrats their strongest support of any age group. The 65% youth share beat the 56% among voters ages 30-44 by 9 points. Voters ages 45-64 and 65+ split closely, at 51% to 46% and 52% to 46%. The age gradient is steep. The younger the voter, the more Democratic the ballot. Voters ages 45-64 and 65+ gave Democrats margins of only 5 and 6 points, so the youth margin is about six times larger than the margin in the oldest group.
History adds context. From 2018 through 2022, young voters favored House Democrats by at least 25 points in every election, including a record 35 in 2018. In 2024, the margin fell to 14 points for House Democrats and 11 in the presidential race, according to Edison Research. The 2026 margin of 34 points is a return to the older pattern, and it sits close to the record.
Youth Gender Gap Statistics 2026: Young Men vs Young Women
Young voters backing a Democratic House candidate, by gender, 2026 (%)
Young women | ███████████████████████████████████████ 70
Young men | ████████████████████████████████ 59| Group | 2026 Data |
|---|---|
| Young women voting Democratic | 70% |
| Young men voting Democratic | 59% |
| Gender gap | 11 points |
| Young white men, Democratic margin | 10 points |
| Young men who supported Trump in 2024 | 56% |
| Young Black and AAPI women voting Democratic | More than 80% |
Source: Tufts University CIRCLE analysis of NORC Civic Health & Elections Project data, with 2024 comparison from AP VoteCast, November 4, 2026.
A gender gap remains. 70% of young women voted for a Democratic House candidate, against 59% of young men. That is an 11-point gap. The size of the gap is smaller than the shift inside the male vote. In 2024, 56% of young men supported Donald Trump. In 2026, a clear majority of them backed Democrats.
The change reaches white men too. Young white men voted Democratic by a 10-point margin, which CIRCLE calls a notable shift from recent elections. Young Black and AAPI women went Democratic at rates above 80%. The gender gap is still real, but the 2026 story is that both sexes moved left, and men moved further.
Youth Vote by Race and Ethnicity 2026: Democratic Support Rates
| Group | Democratic % | Republican % | 2024 Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAPI youth | 81 | n/a | n/a |
| Black youth | 78 | n/a | n/a |
| Latino youth | 71 | n/a | n/a |
| White youth | 61 | 36 | Trump 54, Harris 44 |
Source: Tufts University CIRCLE analysis of NORC Civic Health & Elections Project data, November 4, 2026.
Young voters of color gave Democrats the strongest support. 81% of AAPI youth, 78% of Black youth and 71% of Latino youth backed Democratic House candidates. CIRCLE calls today’s young voters the most diverse generation in American history. That diversity lifts the Democratic share, but it does not explain the full 34-point margin.
White youth supply the real swing. They voted Democratic 61% to 36% in 2026. In the 2024 presidential race, white youth favored Trump 54% to 44% for Kamala Harris. The comparison mixes a House race with a presidential race, so the gap is not exact. The direction is still clear, and it reaches well beyond urban areas.
Youth Voting by Education, Rural Areas and Identity 2026
| Group | Democratic % | Republican % |
|---|---|---|
| Youth with a college degree | 70 | 28 |
| Youth without college experience | 60 | 35 |
| Urban county youth | 71 | n/a |
| Suburban county youth | 62 | n/a |
| Rural county youth | 44 | 50 |
| LGBT youth | 86 | n/a |
| Straight youth | 58 | 38 |
Source: Tufts University CIRCLE analysis of NORC Civic Health & Elections Project data, November 4, 2026.
The education gap narrowed. Young people with a college degree voted 70% to 28% for Democrats. Those without college experience voted 60% to 35%. A 10-point gap in the Democratic share is far smaller than the gaps CIRCLE has tracked in past cycles. Non-college youth still gave Democrats a 25-point margin.
Rural youth were the one group that leaned Republican, by 50% to 44%. That is a 6-point edge. It is also a big improvement for Democrats. Rural youth backed Trump 60% to 38% in 2024, and 64% voted Republican for the House in 2022. Urban youth went 71% Democratic and suburban youth 62%. LGBT youth went 86% Democratic.
2026 US Senate and Governor Races: Youth Vote Support by State
| State | Race | Youth Voting Democratic | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | Senate, Scott Colom | 76% | Dead heat with Cindy Hyde-Smith |
| Georgia | Senate, Jon Ossoff | 71% | Ossoff won |
| Georgia | Governor, Keisha Lance Bottoms | 70% | Bottoms won |
| Minnesota | Senate and Governor | More than 70% | Both Democrats won |
| South Carolina | Senate, Annie Andrews | 66% | Andrews flipped the seat |
Source: Tufts University CIRCLE analysis of NORC Civic Health & Elections Project data, November 4, 2026.
The state numbers show youth support above the national 65% in several key races. Mississippi youth backed Democrat Scott Colom at 76%, and that race was a surprising dead heat with Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith. Georgia youth backed Ossoff at 71% and Bottoms at 70%. Minnesota youth gave more than 70% to both Democratic winners.
South Carolina shows the limit of the data. Annie Andrews flipped the Senate seat with 51.1% of all votes, and 66% of youth backed her. Young voters were only about 11% of the national electorate, so they did not decide each race alone. CIRCLE says the youth vote helped power Democratic wins in Texas, Ohio and Georgia, but state-level turnout data is still to come.
Youth Voter Turnout Rate History 2026 vs Past Elections
Youth (18-29) turnout rate by election year, CIRCLE estimates (%)
2014 midterm | █████████████ 13
2018 midterm | ████████████████████████████ 28
2022 midterm (final) | ███████████████████████ 23
2024 presidential | ███████████████████████████████████████████████ 47| Election | Youth Turnout | Youth Share of Votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 midterm | 13% | n/a |
| 2018 midterm | 28% | 13% |
| 2022 midterm | 23% (first estimate 27%) | 12% |
| 2024 presidential | 47% | n/a |
| 2026 midterm | Not yet released | 11% |
Source: Tufts University CIRCLE youth turnout estimates and NORC Civic Health & Elections Project data, November 4, 2026.
Youth turnout in midterms has risen sharply. It went from 13% in 2014 to 28% in 2018, then settled at 23% in 2022 on CIRCLE’s final voter file estimate. The first 2022 estimate was 27%, so early numbers run high. The 2026 rate will arrive after CIRCLE matches voter files, and it could land above or below 23%.
The youth share of votes tells part of the story now. It was 13% in 2018, 12% in 2022 and 11% in 2026. That small slide does not prove weak youth turnout. CIRCLE points out that very high turnout among all voters would push the youth share down even if youth turnout held steady. CIRCLE’s analysis of voter files also found about 2% more registered youth than in 2022.
Gen Z Voting Margin Polls 2026: NORC vs AP vs SSRS Estimates
Youth Democratic margin in the 2026 House vote by pollster (points)
SSRS Voter Poll | ██████████████████████████████████████████████ 46
AP Voter Poll (approx.) | ████████████████████████████████████████ 40
NORC (CIRCLE) | ██████████████████████████████████ 34
Scale: 1 block = 1 point
| Pollster | Democratic % | Republican % | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| NORC Civic Health & Elections Project | 65 | 31 | D+34 |
| AP Voter Poll | About 70 | About 30 | About D+40 |
| SSRS Voter Poll | 71 | 25 | D+46 |
Source: Tufts University CIRCLE (NORC data), AP Voter Poll as reported by PBS NewsHour, and SSRS Voter Poll preliminary exit data, November 4, 2026.
The pollsters agree on direction and differ on size. NORC, used by CIRCLE, shows a 34-point youth margin. The AP Voter Poll, a survey of about 80,000 voters, puts about 7 in 10 young voters on the Democratic side and about 3 in 10 on the Republican side. SSRS shows 71% to 25%, a 46-point gap.
Survey design explains part of the spread. Sample, question wording and the treatment of third-party votes all move the Republican share. AP also found that about half of young voters felt “angry” about the country’s direction, against about one-third of voters ages 65 and older. Most young voters said their ballot expressed opposition to Trump. Final figures will shift as results are matched. Analysts will compare all three sources once CIRCLE publishes its voter file estimates, and the youth margin may settle between them.
Gen Z Voter Intent and Registration Statistics 2026: Pre-Election Survey
Youth saying they were extremely likely to vote, by cycle (%)
2018 pre-election | █████████████████████████████ 34
2024 pre-election | █████████████████████████████████████████████████ 54
2026 pre-election | ██████████████████████████████████████████████████ 56| Cycle | Extremely Likely to Vote | Actual Youth Turnout |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 midterm | 34% | 28% |
| 2024 presidential | 54% | 47% |
| 2026 midterm | 56% | Not yet released |
| Registered voters under 30, 2026 | 49 million | n/a |
| Registration change vs 2022 | About +2% | n/a |
Source: Tufts University CIRCLE and When We All Vote youth surveys, with registration data reported by The Hill, 2026.
Stated intent has run above actual turnout in each cycle with data. In 2018, 34% of young respondents said they were extremely likely to vote and 28% did. In 2024, 54% said so and 47% did. The 2026 survey found 56% among registered voters under 30, so the pattern points to a final youth turnout rate well below 56%. Midterms draw fewer young voters than presidential years, and intent surveys tend to overstate who shows up.
Registration gives a small lift. CIRCLE found about 2% more registered young voters than before the 2022 midterms, out of roughly 49 million registered voters under 30. CIRCLE’s May 2026 survey found that young people want structural reforms and more responsive politicians. It also found that young people of color are more likely to face barriers to voting, even when their interest matches that of white youth. Those barriers may shape the final turnout gaps by race and by state once voter file data arrives, and they are the main reason CIRCLE’s final estimate will matter more than any early figure.
Frequently Asked Questions About US Gen Z & Youth Turnout 2026
How did young voters vote in the 2026 midterms?
Voters ages 18-29 backed Democratic House candidates by 65% to 31%, a 34-point margin, according to CIRCLE’s analysis of NORC data.
What was youth voter turnout in 2026?
CIRCLE had not released its official 2026 youth turnout rate on November 4, 2026. Youth made up 11% of all votes, down from 12% in 2022.
What percentage of Gen Z voted Democratic in 2026?
65% of voters ages 18-29 voted for a Democratic House candidate. Other polls put the figure between about 70% and 71%.
Did young men vote Democratic in 2026?
Yes. 59% of young men voted for a Democratic House candidate, against 70% of young women. In 2024, 56% of young men supported Trump.
How did white youth vote in 2026?
White youth voted Democratic by 61% to 36%. In the 2024 presidential race they favored Trump, 54% to 44%.
How did rural young voters vote in 2026?
Rural youth leaned Republican by 50% to 44%. In 2024, 60% of rural youth backed Trump.
How did youth vote in Georgia in 2026?
71% of young Georgians backed Jon Ossoff for Senate and 70% backed Keisha Lance Bottoms for governor.
What was youth turnout in the 2022 midterms?
CIRCLE’s final estimate is 23%. Its first estimate was 27%, which shows that early numbers can change.
How many young people are registered to vote in 2026?
About 49 million registered voters are under 30, according to CIRCLE survey data. 56% said they were extremely likely to vote.
Was the 2026 youth vote bigger than in 2024?
The Democratic margin was bigger. It was 34 points in 2026, up from 14 points for House Democrats in 2024, according to Edison Research.
Which Senate races did the youth vote help flip in 2026?
CIRCLE says youth support helped Democrats win in Texas, Ohio and Georgia. In South Carolina, 66% of youth backed Annie Andrews, who flipped the seat.
What share of voters were under 30 in 2026?
About 11% of all votes came from voters under 30, compared with 12% in 2022 and 13% in 2018.
Is the 2026 gender gap among young voters bigger than in 2024?
The 2026 gender gap is 11 points. Young men moved toward Democrats, since 56% of them supported Trump in 2024.
Where can I find final 2026 youth turnout data?
CIRCLE at Tufts University plans to publish its youth turnout estimate after voter file data arrives. Check its 2026 election page for updates.
Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.
