Watch for more stories in the weeks before the November 2024 election as TheStatehouseFile.com looks at Gen Z's complicated relationship with the voting booth. Graphic by TheStatehouseFile.com.
Clark told The Indianapolis St
As the 2024 presidential election quickly approaches—with Nov. 5 only one month away—it’s hard to scroll online without finding an advertisement or influencer reminding people to vote. But the actual process of preparing to vote for the first time can be more complicated than just showing up and getting the free sticker.
Many of these advertisements and endorsements narrow in on Gen-Z, which includes people born between 1995 and 2012, as they’re the individuals most likely to be voting for the first time this year.
Taylor Swift was recently in the news for endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris in a post on her Instagram—a platform where roughly 30% of its users are ages 18-24—which has garnered over 283 million followers.
At the end of her post, she specifically turned to new voters, saying, “Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make. I also want to say, especially to first time voters: Remember that in order to vote, you have to be registered!”
2024 WMBA Rookie of the Year and Indiana Fever player Caitlin Clark also stressed the importance of voting after she liked Swift’s endorsement on Instagram.
Clark told The Indianapolis Star: “I think for myself, this is the second time I can vote in an election at age 22. I could vote when I was 18, so I think, do that. That's the biggest thing I can do with the platform that I have, and that's the same thing Taylor did. I think continuing to educate yourself with the candidates that we have, the policies that they're supporting. I think that's the biggest thing you can do, and that's what I would recommend to every single person that has that opportunity in our country.”
Targeting first-time voters makes sense when considering that more than 40 million members of Gen Z are eligible to vote in this year’s election, according to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, a nonpartisan, independent research organization.
There are also more than 8 million new voters who have reached voting age in 2024 since the 2022 midterms, which is more than enough needed to impact the course of the election when factoring in that only a little over 7 million votes stood between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump
Registering to vote
The deadline to register to vote in Indiana is Monday, Oct. 7.
To register, prospective voters must go to https://indianavoters.in.gov/ and begin the registration process. Applicants must have a valid Indiana driver's license or Indiana state identification card, as the portal uses that to verify voter identities.
To register, you must be a citizen of the United States, not be currently imprisoned after being convicted, and either be 18 at the time of registration or turn 18 before Nov. 5. You also have to have lived in your district for at least 30 days.
If unable to go online, prospective voters can also go to their local public library and request a registration form or go to their local Bureau of Motor Vehicles or county clerk’s office.
Changing addresses on voter registrations
Some college students are in the unique position where for a few months out of the year, they’re often living somewhere entirely different from their home. While Indiana’s voter portal makes it simple to change an address in a matter of minutes, college students are often left confused as to whether they must vote in their hometown or college town.
It’s up to a voter whether they vote near their school or their home, but they have to make sure whichever address they choose is reflected on their registration. While voters are able to change their address on their registration if needed, they must make the change on or before Oct. 7 to participate in this year’s general election.
Already registered voters can check and/or change their voting address by logging into the Indiana voter portal using their name, county of residence and date of birth. Once logged in, voters can see nearby voting sites and also change their current address of residence.
On-campus support and concerns
First-time voter and Marian University freshman Makayla Thompson saw an opportunity to register and decided to go straight for it.
“When I got my [learner’s] permit, they asked me if I wanted to register to vote, and I was just like, ‘Yeah!’” Thompson said. “At my college, though, they make it very easy to know how to register to vote and how important it is to vote and have your voice heard.”
Thompson said the college recently hosted a Voter Registration Jazz Fest, where students had the opportunity to learn more about the registration and voting process while listening to a jazz band sing about voting.
While Thompson plans on heading back home to vote, not all students have the same opportunity.
Concerns about student voter suppression arose recently after Tippecanoe County’s election board announced that for the first time since before 2008, Purdue University will not have polling sites on its campus, as reported by Inside Higher Ed.
The board cited as its reasoning the security of Purdue’s internet connection failing to meet new state standards.
“The following month, after Purdue updated its internet, the board still only granted the university a polling place for six hours of early voting time on one day, Thursday, Oct. 24, at the campus's France A. Córdova Recreational Sports Center,” the article stated.
To voters who are questioning whether voting is worth the work, Thompson said it’s easier than others her age expect.
“It’s very simple, I would say. I think some people just think it’s very complicated. Something that isn’t well [expressed to others] is how simple it is to register to vote,” Thompson said. “I think it’s important that my voice is heard. It makes me feel like I have a say in society and what happens to me and the people around me.”
For more information on how to register to vote, visit the secretary of state's voter portal or your local county clerk's office.
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