Thirty percent of survey respondents said they are not voting because neither candidate represents ... [+]
With a great deal at stake this presidential election, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Revolt TV has relaunched its Vote or Die campaign to galvanize young generations to exercise their right to vote.
To better understand young people’s views on politics, Revolt, in partnership with First & First Consulting, surveyed 1,000 Gen-Zers and Millennials as part of its “Views from the Youth” study.
Bottom line: Young voters lack confidence in both candidates and their ability to deliver results, with one in four choosing not to cast a ballot. For some, reasons are beyond their control: 9% of Gen-Z respondents claim they will not be voting because they are not legally able to vote, and 14% say that the barrier to vote is too high. Those barriers include lack of reliable or safe transportation in both rural and urban areas, an inability to take off from work and homelessness. Others say a lack of education and unclear laws related to voter IDs and absentee and mail-in voting are reasons why they are uncomfortable or unable to vote.
Twenty eight percent of survey respondents are choosing not to vote.
The number one reason why young voters aren’t planning to cast their ballots? Most claim that “neither candidate represents my beliefs or values.”
“This is a very pivotal election,” says Detavio Samuels, Revolt TV COO. “Who we put in office is literally going to be making life or death decisions for this generation This is an urgent matter and [young voters] need to make sure the world hears [their] voice.”
“Vote or Die has a totally different meaning in 2020, but there couldn’t have been a better time for resurgence than now,” says Lynzie Riebling, head of insight at Revolt TV and the lead on the “Views from the Youth” study. “There was this huge disconnect between young people and this election season, on top of everything else going on right now.”
Revolt TV wants to bridge that disconnect by identifying what it is young people care about in regard to politics. In addition to the online survey, Revolt TV analyzed Twitter posts of 200,000 users ages 18 to 34 and curated first-person video diaries from the Revolt Nation mobile community.
What do Gen-Zers and Millennials care most about ahead of the election? Topics like lowering cost of ... [+]
The research suggests politicians should ground conversations in areas Gen-Zers and Millennials are invested in, like empowering the Black community, lowering the cost of living and providing the homeless with housing, improving financial literacy and mental health and creating a fair justice system.
While social media has played a large role in shaping political campaigns and conversations, is it attracting young generations in the right way? Revolt plans to use its presence on Instagram and Twitter to target younger audiences with interactive clips and videos, and provide opportunities for them to use their own voices.
“These politicians care so much about the youth vote and they’re always pressuring them to vote, but they never take the time to understand their opinions,” says Riebling. “That was a huge proponent to doing this study.”
