Introducing Patterns at the Polls: Half the Population, Half the Turnout: The Youth Vote Gap | TDG Fellowship

This week we bring you a special episode from Isaac Mederson, one of our 2026 Podcast Fellows, who examines youth voting participation and its impact on recent U.S. elections, noting that 18–29 turnout lags far behind older voters (48% in 2020 vs. 71.9% for 65+, and about 43% in 2024 vs. 71.7% for 65+). He argues 2024 outcomes reflected overall participation declines and comparatively weaker Democratic turnout, including among infrequent voters and youth, as Harris won only 54% of the youth vote versus Biden’s 60%+ in prior winning Democratic races and a much smaller margin than in 2020. Mederson links youth disengagement to low trust in government, perceived lack of responsiveness, and social-media-driven information ecosystems, featuring an interview with Dr. Mark Meadorson on shifts from broadcast/cable news to social platforms and concerns about journalists confronting misinformation. He concludes that improving youth turnout requires substantive responsiveness to youth issues and encourages civic action like voting, contacting representatives, and organizing.

• 00:00 Democracy Group Intro
• 00:23 Podcast Premise Setup
• 00:45 Youth Turnout Numbers
• 01:36 2024 Drop And Impact
• 03:23 Youth Shift Rightward
• 04:11 Youth Engagement Paradox
• 06:02 Trust In Government
• 08:07 Social Media Influence
• 10:50 Guest Media Landscape
• 15:09 Do Youth Watch Cable
• 20:05 Misinformation Debate
• 23:48 Solutions And Call To Act
• 27:41 Final Sign Off

Know a student interested in democracy and podcasts? Send them over to our fellowship to apply: https://www.democracygroup.org/fellowship

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