Gen-Z voters are expected to have a massive impact on this year's elections. Credit: Mikhail Nilov

As another tumultuous year for politics revs up, voters are facing an onslaught of information and misinformation – and a fair amount of uncertainty. Young voters are especially unsure about where they can look and who they can trust when it comes to elections.   

“There’s a fundamental lack of civic education. For young voters, this can make voting seem very intimidating,” Olivia Brady, the Youth Programs Manager of NYC Votes, said. “Young voters have the potential to make up one-fifth of the electorate in November, which represents a huge opportunity to have an impact on the issues that matter to us.”

NYC Votes is an initiative of the New York City Campaign Finance Board, an independent, non-partisan city agency. The initiative focuses on communities that tend not to vote. The agency breaks down the electoral process and works to increase participation between voters and candidates. Gen-Z is just one of the groups that NYC Votes is working to increase deeper engagement with. 

We’ve constructed a comprehensive guide dedicated to youth and first-time voters that covers the voter registration process and gives you tips on how to steer through social media, deal with misinformation and navigate the elections. 

The youth vote matters. Here’s why

After Biden dropped out of the race and Kamala Harris replaced him as the democratic nominee for President, polls show that Harris is notably more popular among the country’s youngest voters than Biden. Credit: Sora Shimazaki:

Historically, voters between the ages of 18 and 24 have always been part of the group with some of the lowest voter turnout. But a CIRCLE study estimated that a record of roughly 31% of youth (ages 18-29) turned out to vote in the 2018 midterms and 67% of youth cast their ballot for a Democratic House candidate – in a year where Democrats flipped the House. The potential voting power of youths remains undeniable. 

The young voters that Brady oversees at NYC Votes are mostly concerned about local policies that directly impact their lives in the city, including a decline in funding to their schools, the criminal justice system, as well as access to things like libraries and public transportation.

But leading up to an unpredictable presidential election year, they’re also thinking about how national policies will impact their generation’s vote (or lack thereof). “It’s important to look beyond the individual candidate and find out where they stand on those key issues. One thing that is on the top of all of our high schoolers’ minds is the conflict in Gaza….and a lot of our students that we work with, they’re very concerned about the rising cost of education, even within the CUNY system,” said Brady. 

Polls from CNN and the Harvard Kennedy School show that Gen-Z has been leaning toward even greater voting apathy within the last year. The main reason being their dissatisfaction with Biden and Trump as options for this year’s presidential election. 

But after Biden dropped out of the race on July 21 and Kamala Harris replaced him as the democratic nominee for President, polls show that Harris is notably more popular among the country’s youngest voters than Biden.

An Axios survey conducted right after Biden withdrew shows that, in a Biden-Trump race, 53% of 18-to 34-year-olds would vote for Biden, giving him a 6-point lead over Trump. But in a Harris-Trump contest, the same respondents split 60% for Harris and 40% for Trump, giving Harris a 20-point lead.

Can you register to vote? At 16 you can pre-register 

The first thing that high school students should know about voting is that they can pre-register to vote as early as 16. This allows you to get registration out of the way so you can cast your ballots as soon as you qualify at 18. When high schoolers pre-register, “it’s one less thing for them to worry about,” Brady said. 

The process of pre-registering to vote is the same as regular voter registration. Registration can happen online (via the New York Board of Elections portal or via the DMV portal, in person at BOE offices or via snail mail).  

The address to mail in forms is: 

Board of Elections 

32 Broadway, 7 Fl 

New York, NY 10004-1609

To be eligible to vote you must:

  • Be a United States citizen
  • Be 18 years old by Dec. 31 of the year in which you register and by the date of the general, primary or other election that you plan to vote in
  • Be a New York resident for at least 30 days before the election
  • Not be in prison for a felony conviction
  • Not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court
  • Not claim the right to vote elsewhere (meaning you can’t vote outside of NYC)

Preparing your voter application as a student

In order to complete the registration you will either need to know your social security number, or have your New York State DMV (driver’s license number or non-driver ID) number ready to complete the form. If you don’t have this information, other types of identification can be submitted when you apply. 

“Since most students in New York City do not drive or remember their social security number, I often encourage high schoolers to get a copy of their school transcript and use that to verify their identification,” Brady said. “A photo ID is not required. It can be literally any piece of official information that has your name and address, and it matches your registration on it.”

Other forms of identification you can use while registering are: 

  • A current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check 
  • Or any government document displaying your name and address 

Be sure to add a photocopy of one of these forms of ID and securely seal both sides of the form with tape before handing in a physical form.

Also, it is important to pay attention to deadlines. If you mail your application, keep in mind the form must be received at least 10 days before you vote in an election. 

The deadline to register to vote for the upcoming Nov. 5 presidential election election, is Oct. 26.  

You can learn more about the voting process and get to know who and what is on the ballot in November, by reading our general Epicenter NYC 2024 voting guide. 

Navigating social media 

Instagram and TikTok are the platforms Gen-Zers are on the most, and they both have a sea of information and commentary regarding politics. But at the same time, like Facebook and Twitter, they’re also places where misinformation can run rampant. Credit: cottonbro studio

“Gen-Z voters can really see through the kind of cheesy and corny messaging that some politicians put on their social media pages. But I think where social media really comes into play for NYC Votes, is being a platform where we can break down complex election definitions and procedures,” Brady said.  

Although social media pages should not be the only way to learn more about elections, candidates and their policies, it could be useful to follow politicians on the ballot and groups committed to informing the public on laws and policies.

Instagram and TikTok are the platforms Gen-Zers are on the most, and they both have a sea of information and commentary regarding politics. But at the same time, like Facebook and Twitter, they’re also places where misinformation can run rampant. Here are some reliable accounts that can help contextualize election information:  

  • NYC Votes – the initiative posts a variety of infographics that explain what’s on the ballot and remind voters of important election dates, along with short videos that share everything from man-on-the-street interviews on civics topics made in partnership with @publicopinionnyc, to partnerships with local influencers like @thebronxnative, a trendy clothing shop, to advertisements of their work like community profiles that dig deep into NYC’s unique neighborhood demographics.
  • Feminist – this social media account has a Voter Guide on their Instagram Highlights and focuses on posting information on policies that impact women’s rights.
  • Vote Save America – this organization is part of the Crooked Media Network. Its Instagram specializes in curating election-related news and video clips. You can see videos featuring state legislators and congress members, in addition to watching political conversations by Pod Save America @podsaveamerica.

Tips for fact-checking election information

You can fact-check almost anything that politicians say or post using the following websites. There are ways to also check if an image or video is real, edited or if it has been used out of context: 

  • Politifact – is a great resource for fact-checking this year’s election coverage. The non-partisan organization tracks statements across candidates, news stories and social media posts across platforms
  • Factcheck – is another website that is focusing on fact-checking Biden and Trump this year. They also categorize their fact-checking by topics such as health, immigration and climate change
  • Pen America – notes that you can also use Google Reverse Image Search, TinEye, or RevEye to gather a photo’s original source information. You can use InVID to visually analyze and find a video’s contextual information. Many of these tools include browser extensions so you can fact-check images without leaving the social media site.
    • When it comes to video deep fakes, Pen America advises “paying particular attention to the face — eyes, skin color/smoothness, lip movements — as many manipulated images contain altered facial features. If the video features a public official or purports to be taken at an official event, check to see if there are any official statements or press releases accompanying the video.”

Opportunities for students to get deeply involved with their communities

There are a multitude of ways to increase your civic education. Getting involved in programs within your community is an opportunity to take action in election advocacy locally. 

  • NYC Votes Youth Ambassador Program – You can apply to the program if you are a NY student between the ages 14 and 19. Fully led by young people for young people, the program encourages participants to learn about elections, attend field trips and learn civic leadership skills. You can also get out into the community and support voter registration efforts.
    • To learn more visit their website. Applications go live in the spring. 
  • Local CBOs – community-based organizations offer a wide range of activities and youth programs, centered around local voter engagement. You can look through this website by NYC Open Data and this website by Documented NY to find an organization near you that does on-the-ground election work. (Tip: it’s important to check these organizations’ websites or social media pages often, because volunteer opportunities usually pop up sporadically.)
  • NYC Civic Engagement Commission – engage in annual participatory budgeting, with the NYCCEC, where you can vote on projects funded by city tax dollars that benefit your community (although this year’s cycle has passed this is an ongoing city program that you can participate in each year)
  • Become a Student Poll Worker – at 17 years old, you can get paid up to $340 dollars for working one full election day and helping out at poll sites. Learn more about how to apply as a student here. 

For more of our election coverage, visit our election page.

This coverage was made possible by a grant through the URL Collective, a nonprofit supporting local, diverse media. Epicenter NYC and URL Collective have partnered to bring you election reporting from grassroots media. 

Juliana Giacone is a journalism graduate student at Columbia Journalism School. Her work has been published in The Hechinger Report, in collaboration with The City, Chalkbeat NY and The New York Times....

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