For Generation Z, the US election is all about the economy

The U.S. presidential election is just weeks away, and one key voting bloc is drawing a lot of attention from both parties: young voters. But it is economic issues — from inflation to the housing market — that could drive them to the polls.

It’s Isabella Morris’s first presidential run, and the 21-year-old mother from Rosenberg, Texas, said she’s listening closely to what both candidates have to say.

Isabella is recently married and has a two-year-old. She works part-time to supplement her husband’s full-time income. She stays at home with her child while her family rents a small one-bedroom apartment.

The plan seemed solid—two incomes, no mortgage or daycare costs—but it’s not enough.

“Our debts have been paid off, but we cannot afford any mistakes. We have no savings, nothing. In the past, one job was enough to live on, even at minimum wage. Now it feels like we are barely making ends meet,” she said.

Economic fears about her future will prompt her to vote in November, but when she spoke to the BBC she was still undecided about which candidate she would support.

“As this election draws ever closer, we cannot possibly imagine that there will be a candidate who is not currently addressing the economic crisis,” she said.

Isabelle is one of 8 million young people who will vote in a presidential election for the first time. Both parties account for voters under 35, who make up about a third of the U.S. electorate, and polls show the economy is their top priority this election season.

Although reproductive rights, the war in Gaza and gun violence dominate the headlines when it comes to the political priorities of young voters, 18- to 26-year-olds rank economic growth, income inequality and poverty among the top issues facing the country, according to the Gen Forward Survey , conducted by the University of Chicago and published in September.

That’s in contrast to the 2020 election, when COVID-19, racism and health care surpassed the economy as the top driver of young voters’ turnout, according to the same poll.

Isabella’s concerns reflect the broader challenges facing young voters as they enter a world of high rents, unaffordable homes and slowing job creation — not to mention a one-time spike in prices, according to economic tiktok Kyla Scanlon.

Last month, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the first time in more than four years, a decision that could lead to lower borrowing costs on mortgages, credit cards and savings rates for millions of people. However, it remains to be seen whether the change in interest rates will change people’s outlook on the economy.

“The overall situation has gotten worse,” Ms. Scanlon, 27, told the BBC, noting that young people today are worse off than previous generations – even millennials who entered the workforce after the 2008 financial crisis.

A member of Generation Z herself, Ms. Scanlon often uses TikTok, where she has more than 180,000 followers, to educate young people about the economy.

Credit agency TransUnion found that people ages 22 to 24 have more debt of all kinds — credit cards, car loans and mortgages — than Millennials of the same age. And their debts are rising faster than their income.

“There is no beginner mode anymore – the bottom rung of the ladder just seems to have completely disappeared for most of the generation,” Ms Scanlon said.

And that fear of being left behind could be driving voters to the ballot box, experts say.

Abby Kiesa, deputy director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), told the BBC she expects about half of young voters to take part in this election – a similar turnout to 2020, which saw the highest turnout recorded for decades and an 11% increase compared to the 2016 presidential election.

Meanwhile, the 2018 midterm elections saw record-breaking turnout among young voters, according to CIRCLE.

This is still far below the turnout of other age groups. In 2020, 69% of eligible Americans between the ages of 35 and 64 went to the polls, while 74% of voters over the age of 65 went to the polls. according to the U.S. Census. But in an election won on a knife’s edge, the opportunity to attract a significant percentage of new voters could give a candidate the boost needed to win.

Ms. Kiesa said focusing on addressing economic difficulties will be crucial if politicians hope to boost turnout among Generation Z, who feel disconnected from politics.

“In the last three elections, turnout among young voters has been historically high,” she said. “We need candidates who understand them, engage and talk to them. That’s what needs to change.”

Presidential candidates Trump and Harris have both toughened their economic message and increased their efforts to appeal to young voters in recent weeks.

Harris has expanded the Biden administration’s economic initiatives on student loan forgiveness, consumer prices and housing affordability. She has proposed a $25,000 grant for first-time homebuyers and a $6,000 tax credit for families with newborns.

Her campaign has doubled its youth organizing staff and invested heavily in digital ads. She was endorsed by high-profile celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish and gained momentum by spreading viral memes about the vice president on social media. Harris has also spent the last year touring college campuses in key battleground states.

Meanwhile, Trump has sought to capitalize on young people’s economic discontent by attacking the economic records of Harris and Biden and highlighting the lower prices of goods under his administration. Both he and Harris have promised to eliminate tip tax – a move aimed at the service industry that employs millions of young people – and have advocated for removing regulatory barriers to cryptocurrencies.

The former president has also tried to reach younger voters through social media, podcasts and partnerships with influencers. He has posted TikToks with influencers like Logan Paul and Adin Ross.

Polls showed Trump making gains among young voters as he ran against the 81-year-old Biden. When he was still in the race, he was only a few percentage points ahead of Trump, and the GenForward poll showed that young people thought he was handling the economy better than the Biden administration.

But the momentum has shifted back to the much younger Harris.

She now has a 31-point lead over Trump among likely voters ages 18 to 29, according to the Harvard Institute of Politics poll released in late September.

Economic problems not only drive people to vote, they also give some young people the impetus to run for office themselves.

Gabriel Sanchez, 27, a Democratic candidate for the Georgia state legislature, said he is running for office to ease his generation’s financial burden.

As a waiter at a sports bar, he said rent increases forced him to move repeatedly. He fears that basic needs like stable housing will become a privilege for many young Americans.

“Most of us are unable to own a home, afford health care, or buy the basic things we need,” Sanchez said in a TikTok posted to his campaign account.

In May, Sanchez and three other young candidates won the Georgia Democratic primary. a result dubbed Generation Z’s night in Atlanta.

Sanchez said he believes his economic struggles have resonated with voters.

“We work hard but don’t see any rewards. “This economy is not working for us,” Sanchez said. “We need representation – candidates who understand what young people are going through.”

But it’s not just Democrats who are attracting young candidates.

Wyatt Gable, a 21-year-old in his senior year at East Carolina University, won the Republican primary for the North Carolina House of Representatives. He defeated George Cleveland, an 85-year-old, 10-term incumbent.

If elected in November, Wyatt will be the youngest person ever to hold a seat in the state legislature.

As he prepares to vote in November, he expects the economy to be a top priority for young people in this year’s election.

“My generation feels it. “With inflation dire and interest rates skyrocketing, this will be the most important thing for young people when they go to the ballot box,” he said.

North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher breaks down the race for the White House in his twice-weekly newsletter, US Election Unspun. Readers in Britain can register here. Those outside the UK can register here.