Youth Vote and the November Surprise Fear

By Nayaba Arinde
Editor-at-Large
New York early voting begins on Saturday, October 26th.
Presidential candidates Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump are crisscrossing the battleground swing states and the sunbelt states, including Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Florida, and Texas.
With a 46% to 43% Harris lead over Trump, Reuters/Ipsos calls their 6-day poll “exceptionally close.”
As avid as their convinced supporters are, the undecided are seemingly equally uninspired by either candidate, prompting concern of a real close result, or worse…
The two are both vying for crucial votes to swing the Electoral College selected electors in their direction.
Electoral activists nationwide have been trying to energize the youth vote amidst reports of young adult disinterest.

Our Time Press previously reported that Tufts University has stated that 40-plus million Gen Z 18-27-year-old members will be eligible to vote in the 2024 presidential election, including 8.3 million newly eligible 18-19-year-olds.

Ashley Sharpton, the Founder/Director of National Action Network’s Youth Huddle told Our Time Press that since Harris entered the presidential race in July, there has been a “noticeable shift in the energy surrounding this election, especially among young voters. At our National Action Network Youth Huddle, which meets every Monday night, we engage a diverse group of people, ranging from young activists to seasoned elders. We’ve observed that most of our members are planning to vote for Kamala Harris.

There are just a few who remain undecided or disengaged, but overall, there’s a notable increase in interest and dialogue compared to when President Biden initially ran.” The young activist quoted her father, Reverend Al Sharpton, who she often says, “It’s not just about who you like—it’s about who likes you, who has policies that benefit you. This election is about making informed decisions based on what matters most to your community.”

During their weekly Huddle meetings, she continued that they “focus on the facts to ensure that our actions are strategic, not aimless. Nationwide, nearly 42 million young adults, ages 18 to 27—also known as Generation Z—are eligible to vote. To harness this power, we’ve established targeted partnerships, hosted panel discussions, organized voter registration drives, and led virtual forums specifically to engage college students and younger voters in addition to our existing base. The narrative that young voters, particularly young Black men, are disengaged is not what we’re seeing on the ground. In fact, we’ve encountered countless Black men who are not only engaged but have clear voter plans.”

Ms. Sharpton pushed back against the narrative that has Black men siding with Trump as opposed to Harris. “It’s misleading to single out any one group as being uninterested in this election. The same claims being made about Black men could be made about other demographics. But the truth is, people across all groups are engaged, and young people, in particular, are energized and ready to participate.”

She cited NAN Huddle Youth and College Division Director Christian Matthew, who she said “has shared that while there are some on his campus who are disillusioned with both candidates, there’s a significant number of young people excited to vote, whether it’s in person or by absentee ballot. So while there’s always work to be done in reaching those who feel their voice doesn’t matter, this is a challenge we face every election, not just this one.”

Ms. Sharpton said that the young people in NAN Youth Huddle have been active on the ground with their national Get Out the Vote efforts joined by Rev. Jesse Jackson, Zeta Phi Beta and Phi Beta Sigma leadership, the Exonerated Central Park 5’s Korey Wise and Yusef Salaam, clergy, advocates, and student leaders, throughout the nation from New York City to Ohio, and in battleground states like Nevada, Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania.

“We’ve engaged with young people on campuses like Ohio State University and Penn State University to HBCUs like Howard University and Morehouse College, and we’ve been energized by the turnout and conversations. The narrative that young Black men or young people aren’t interested in this election simply doesn’t reflect what we’re seeing. While there are some who remain disengaged, many are excited and eager to vote.”

The Divine 9 ‘Black Greek’ sororities and fraternities organizations stated that they would support Harris the moment it was announced that she was being considered as a candidate when President Joe Biden stepped aside from a re-election campaign. Nicole Robinson-Etienne

The chair of the Eta Nu Sigma Social Action Committee told Our Time Press, “Eta Nu Sigma’s seven-week Social Action series, ‘Rhoad to Election Day,’ (STET) is and was dedicated to voter education, registration, and mobilization during this historic election.”

Sigma Gamma Rho’s Etienne said, “We believe informed voters are empowered voters, and our initiative aimed to ensure every voice is heard. This election is critical, and through our efforts, we are committed to driving meaningful participation in our community.”

The U.S. presidential election is stoking interest across the pond, too. As he is about to board a plane from London to join in the Kamala Harris grassroots campaigning, Lester Holloway, the former editor of The Voice UK newspaper, told Our Time Press, “I, and many other Brits, are coming over here to help out because what happens here impacts us over there, and the world. Everyone is saying, ‘We cannot have Trump’.

His global effect would be a massive negative at the time when the Far Right is marching into government across mainland Europe, and we’ve just had Far Right-instigated riots in the UK. At this last stage, the job of continuing to make demands on Kamala – should she make it – to address racial injustice, healthcare, guns, and housing will continue after the election, and we will continue to be supporting you from afar.”