Young voters swing decisively back to Democrats in midterms

Young voters swung decisively toward Democrats in Tuesday's midterms, with an estimated 66% of Americans aged 18–29 backing Democratic House candidates versus 31% for Republicans, according to Tufts University's CIRCLE analysis of preliminary NORC data. This marks a 35-point Democratic advantage, up sharply from a 14-point edge in the 2024 national House exit poll. Support among young men rose from 51% to 59%, while young women's backing climbed from 61% to 70%. Young white voters favored Democrats 63%–34%, after splitting nearly evenly in 2024. The results challenge speculation about a lasting Republican shift among Gen Z, though analysts caution that different polling methods and a slightly smaller youth share of the electorate complicate comparisons. Young voters accounted for an estimated 11% of Tuesday's electorate, down from 12% in 2022.