The 2020 Presidential election was one of the most highly-anticipated elections in United States history. After four years of turmoil and angst under the presidency of Donald J. Trump, the American people were ready for change.
The country being more polarized than ever, voter turnout during this election surged as people marched to the polls to save democracy and restore the soul of the country.
According to CNBC, the 2020 election saw record-high voter turnout at 159.8 million votes nationwide, highest since 1900. Many media outlets announced that over 100 million votes were cast during the early voting period alone.
According to the U.S. Elections Project, 239.2 million Americans were eligible to vote in the 2020 election. The most astonishing and inspiring part of this election in my eyes was the youth voter turnout.
Historically, young voters have had lower turnout rates. For over 20 years, Baby Boomers have had the highest voter turnout in the U.S. But like everything else in 2020, this year proved to be the exception.
Gen Z and Millenials made their voices heard during this election, and I could not be prouder. According to a November 6 analysis by Tufts University’s CIRCLE (Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement), 53% of young voters cast their ballots in the 2020 election (versus 45% in 2016).
Additionally, census data analyzed by the Brookings Institution shows that millennials and under make up 37% of the population eligible to vote.
Tufts University’s CIRCLE has found that prior to election day, over 7 million 18-29-year-olds had already voted. The record highest voter turnout for millennials and Gen Z prior to this election was in the 2008 Presidential election.
A map from CIRCLE shows how the election would have resulted if only young people had voted.
According to estimates from The New York Times, 62% of voters aged 18-29 voted for Biden, in comparison to 35% that voted for Trump.
The NY Times also found that 55% of college graduates voted for Biden, and 49% of people without a college degree supported Biden in this election.
66% of first-time voters voted for Biden, whereas 32% for Trump.
CIRCLE estimates that 86% of young African-American voters nationwide supported Biden and aided him in several states in which the race was particularly close.
According to CIRCLE, top issues that drove young voters to the polls this year include the COVID-19 pandemic, human rights, racial equality, climate change and the economy.
CIRCLE’S studies also show that young voters also aided Joe Biden in key swing states including Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
These studies have made me believe that youth voters secured this election for Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
At 12 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, several media outlets including CNN, the Associated Press and NY Times announced that Joe Biden won the 2020 Presidential election and will assume office in January 2021.
As a half African-American half Indian woman, Kamala Harris will be the first woman, and woman of color, to become the Vice President of the United States.
History has been made and people are celebrating Biden’s win all over the globe. Church bells are ringing in Paris, fireworks are going off in London, and Americans are dancing and singing in the streets in New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Atlanta and numerous other cities across the nation.
I believe that Biden and Harris will lead us into the future and promote human rights, racial equality and health and justice for all.