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'Brat Summer' Turns to Election Fall as Unique Political Tactics Target Gen Z Voters

If energy and excitement were on the ballot, young voters would have already won

Jordyn Bradley

A presidential campaign using Charli XCX and Chappell Roan to appeal to young voters might not have been on your 2024 bingo card. But then again, Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the democratic nominee might not have been, either.

With this year’s election feeling eerily similar to 2020 — even down to the same ticket up until a couple of months ago — many voters have felt fatigued and uninspired by the future. But in July, there was a palpable energy shift when President Biden ended his re-election bid and publicly endorsed Vice President Harris.

“Anyone can see the excitement that wasn’t present before with a 2020 repeat. People are hopeful for something new,” Kylie Spagnuolo, 23, tells Pride Source.



Between Kamala HQ’s viral TikTok referring to her presidential run as a “femininomenon,” Charli declaring that “Kamala IS brat” on X and Taylor Swift endorsing the Harris-Walz campaign on behalf of “childless cat ladies” everywhere, the democratic ticket has used its fair share of trends, pop culture references and endorsements to show up everywhere and appeal to everyone — particularly to young voters.

It makes sense. Nearly 41 million members of Gen Z will be eligible to vote this year, including over eight million newly eligible voters since the 2022 midterm election, according to Tufts. Almost half are people of color, and about 30% identify as LGBTQ+.

Statista reports that Gen Z and millennial voters will make up 48.5% of eligible voters this year.

Spagnuolo says she sees their campaign strategy of connecting with young voters working, for the most part. She admits she would like to see more from the Harris-Walz campaign regarding immigration and a shift in their narrative about the war on Gaza.

“I see both candidates utilizing pop culture stars to encourage voting registration and support, which I think can be great for encouraging active civic engagement,” she says. “What I do see as a huge difference [from the 2020 election] is the influx of Gen Z voters that are acutely interested in voting and politics and their voice becoming increasingly louder — it’s hard to ignore. Social media use for political leverage is increasing daily and it’s effective.”

Appealing to young voters isn’t a new campaign strategy: In 2008, Barack Obama’s campaign also centered much of its focus on young voters, and 66% of voters under 30 voted in his favor. 

Social media and content strategy have grown astronomically since 2008, though. Back then, Twitter was still fresh, and Instagram and TikTok didn't even exist. Not only is information more accessible to people today thanks to social media, but so is voting.

“Voting has never been more accessible in the state of Michigan as it is now,” says Jay Kaplan, a staff attorney for the ACLU of Michigan’s LGBTQ+ Rights Project.

Michiganders are able to vote early using an absentee ballot, which you can register for online, via mail or in person at your local city or township clerk’s office. You can request an absentee ballot in person at your clerk’s office anytime up to 4 p.m. on the day prior to the election, or Monday, Nov. 4. Michigan voters are also able to cast their votes early in-person at an early voting site. Those locations can be found here.

Because of this, young voters who are attending college out of town can still ensure their votes are counted and don’t have to stress about finding the time to go home amid their busy schedules. Without having to travel, the lack of transportation to a voting precinct is also an issue of the past.

This election season, celebrities and brands are talking about voter registration more than previous years. Snapchat, whose majority of users are 18-24, partnered with Vote.org on a voter engagement tool ahead of the election. Headcount is giving away concert tickets and signed artist memorabilia for those who register to vote and check their registration status.

In an Instagram post, Taylor Swift shared that she made a voting plan and urged others to do so, too. "Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make," the “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” singer said. "I also want to say, especially to first time voters: Remember that in order to vote, you have to be registered! I also find it’s much easier to vote early. I’ll link where to register and find early voting dates and info in my story."

In less than 24 hours after the conclusion of the U.S. Presidential Debate on Sept. 10, more than 337,000 people visited that registration link.

On National Voter Registration Day Sept. 17, Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas, also took to Instagram, where they shared a video endorsing Harris and pushed fans to vote. In it, the “Birds of a Feather” singer said, "Vote like your life depends on it, because it does."

The siblings said they are voting for Harris and Walz "because they are fighting to protect our reproductive freedom, our planet and our democracy.”

Prior to Obama, many nominees didn’t focus on issues important to young voters, like global warming, the environment and high college expenses, because it was assumed that young voters wouldn’t turn up to the polls.

“I think a lot of young people now are saying, ‘What is my future?’” says Kaplan.

Gen Z is worried about getting out of their student debt or ever being able to afford a house of their own, not to mention civil and reproductive rights, says Kaplan. “These things give them a reason to vote, and they’ve shown up to do so. Back in 2008, they saw [voting] as a way to demonstrate hope and progress and being able to move forward, too.”

Clinging to hope is still a critical piece of the election puzzle this year. The Harris-Walz campaign seems to bring something different to the “same old, same old” of years prior.

“People were unhappy with another Trump vs. Biden showdown that left everyone feeling like they lost. [But] people feel like they gained a new opportunity with Harris,” says Spagnuolo. Much of that, she says, is thanks to her running mate, Tim Walz.

“He’s the embodiment of a ‘Midwest Dad’ and he’s relatable to people — more so than Harris," she says. "At a time where the Midwest vote means everything, I think he got a lot of people on board with this campaign, or at least made them more amicable, including me."



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