What should the next president’s top priority be? Here’s what Gen Z voters say in poll

A “pessimistic” Generation Z, poised to have a major impact in the 2024 presidential election, share much different views about their vision of the country than older age groups, a poll shows.

In the latest GenNext poll, conducted by Marist, America’s youngest voters expressed a bleak outlook for the future and showed a desire for a candidate willing to break the rules.

Generation Z, with 8 million more eligible voters since 2020, now has 40 million members of its age group eligible to cast a vote in the Nov. 5 election, according to Columbia Magazine.

It’s a generation fearful for the future, the poll shows. Sharing the same views as Millennials, only 52% of likely Gen Z voters polled said the American dream is still attainable.

When older generations were asked the same question, 80% of Gen X and 85% of Baby Boomers believed the American dream could be achieved.

While the majority of older generations said preserving democracy is a deciding factor in their vote, the same could not be said about Gen Z, with only 46% calling it an important issue for them.

What is important for the youngest generation of voters, according to the poll, is inflation. Sixty percent of likely Gen Z voters said tackling inflation should be the next president’s priority, while less than half of other generations said the same.

Generation Z is more likely to say the war between Israel and Hamas is important for their vote. They are also the most likely generation to consider gun policy and LGBTQ+ rights as important factors, according to the poll.

The poll found Generation Z is far more likely to believe the country has gotten off track. Two-thirds of likely Gen Z voters said they want a leader willing to break the rules to fix things, whereas less than half of Millennials (44%), Gen X (34%) and Baby Boomers (27%) felt similarly.

Despite bleakness about the outlook of the country, 80% of Generation Z voters said their vote matters, similar percentages as Gen X (81%) and Millennials (79%).

“In this pivotal election year, whether or not young people decide to vote could very well decide the outcome of the election,” said Sarah Swanbeck, executive director of the Berkeley Institute for Young Americans.

More than 2,000 Americans were surveyed in the poll, which was conducted Oct. 8 through Oct. 10. The poll has a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.

This story was originally published October 30, 2024 at 12:19 PM with the headline "What should the next president’s top priority be? Here’s what Gen Z voters say in poll."