Polls show that among the Gen Z cohort, more men tend to lean Republican and more women lean Democrat.
The 2024 presidential election is the first in which the majority of Generation Z—those born between 1997 and 2012 and currently aged between 12 and 27—will be eligible to vote.
Often called Gen Z or Zoomers, the newest generation of voters, aged 18 to 27, tend to have an outlook different from that of older generations.
Gen Zers make up roughly 20 percent of the U.S. population. But they’re greatly outnumbered in voter registration by older generations: An April study found that fewer than 40 percent were registered to vote.
The majority were born after the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001; even those born before then were too young to remember much about it. They were in elementary school or younger during the 2008 stock market crash. They were raised alongside technology such as smartphones, with little to no recollection of the world before the internet. They’re tech-savvy, relying on social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, and X to communicate and stay in touch.
And recently, they’re more politically divided along gender lines than ever before, as women trend toward Democrats while men trend Republican.
A New York Times/Siena poll conducted over the summer found a massive 51-point political divide between men and women aged 18 to 29, including the youngest millennials and the oldest Gen Zers. These women favored Vice President Kamala Harris by 38 points, while men favored former President Donald Trump by 13 points.
Young men who spoke to The Epoch Times consistently listed the economy as their biggest concern, regardless of which candidate they supported.
Many young women, particularly those leaning toward Trump, also mentioned the economy. But they were also more likely to list access to abortion or dislike of Trump’s personality as their leading concerns.
With Gen Z on track to have its biggest political impact yet, The Epoch Times spoke to dozens of Gen Z voters across the United States. Here’s what they had to say about the impending contest.
