Kamala Harris’ "brat summer" moment and audio remixes of the candidates’ speeches took social media by storm this election season.
Ads on Instagram and text campaigns vied for voters’ attention and support.
But, two young voters in San Diego aimed to cut through all the social media noise to make informed decisions.
“I know it's like the algorithm is feeding me what they want me to see, so I kind of couldn't put media into the factor here,” 19-year-old Grace Chaves said. “(My vote) kind of had to be like what I've seen based off of real life scenarios.”
And much of what impacts young voters' lives right now is their financial situations.
Young voters, ages 18 to 29, selected the economy and jobs as the most important issue facing the country, followed by abortion and immigration, according to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.
“Being a college student now and seeing how the prices have gone up dramatically for everything … and then going to the grocery store and just seeing how much it costs, even just for the little things that I need, it's just gone up a lot compared to four years ago,” Chaves explained.
For that reason, Chaves voted for former President Donald Trump. However, Chaves made it clear neither candidate was her top choice.
“When faced with two evils, choose neither,” Chaves shared her way of thinking. “But, I didn't really feel like I could do that. I feel like I had to go with somebody. So ultimately, I decided to vote for Trump because I sided with him a little bit more.”
For the Democratic ticket, 21-year-old Shiloh Catterton voted for Vice President Kamala Harris. She said she understands but struggles with the economic argument that was made by many who voted for Trump.
“I think that this election was very personal for a lot of groups of people,” Catterton said. “And even if the Republican Party was voting on the economy, there were other factors that were at stake.”
Abortion and reproductive rights was the second highest issue ranked by young voters. The candidates’ stances on this issue informed Catterton’s vote.
Catterton explained she was also looking at endorsements from labor unions, Planned Parenthood, the NAACP or other social justice causes.
“Most politicians are wealthier than you or me or my peers and everyday citizens, so they're out of touch with our issues,” Catterton said. “As a citizen, it's our responsibility when we have the privilege to vote, when we have the privilege to decide and fight for something, that we fight for things that uplift everybody and stand for our communities.”
Both Chaves and Catterton say their families’ political views had a strong impact on the issues they care about. Chaves comes from a conservative background while Catterton's is liberal.
“I grew up in a Republican family and everything, so (I) definitely wanted to side more with Trump in that respect,” Chaves said. “I don't fully agree with either (candidate), but ultimately (it) came down to who I agreed more with, and I definitely lean more Trump on that side with regards to abortion.”
Catterton said her family is more progressive.
“My mom started taking me to Black Lives Matter rallies when I was in middle school. My mom was a huge advocate for women's rights,” Catterton said. “I've always said, I don't care who you vote for, what you vote for. I care that you vote and I care that you educate yourself on voting, because that's the first step.”
Outside of specific issues like abortion and the economy, the youth vote was also split based on gender.
Exit polls indicated that while young voters supported Harris by a 6-point margin in this election, it was by a much smaller margin than the 25-point support young voters gave President Joe Biden in 2020. The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement says much of that shift appears to be driven by young men, who voted for Biden in 2020 but Trump in 2024.
Catterton said the Democratic Party is missing the mark right now in engaging with the communities it's supposed to serve.
“An election reflects where our country is,” Catterton said. “Like it or not, this election is reflecting where our country is and the work that we need to do. I think it highlights the weaknesses of the Democratic Party.”
Both students acknowledged a desire for continued discussions post election that rise above polarization to find common ground and solutions.
“Me and my friends just didn't feel super comfortable with either side, just the way they've definitely been very divisive towards each other,” Chaves said. “I think that was definitely a turnoff for young voters who decided not to vote, because there's definitely been a lot of issues on both sides and a lot of negative comments back and forth.”
