At our August DWGC meeting, we had a panel of young Democratic leaders to discuss this issue so crucial not only to this election, but to the future of our Democracy. Can we engage young voters?

We asked our panelists to respond to the questions that were not answered during the meeting. Evan Lawton, president, SC High School Dems, followed up. 

1. How important is Student Loan Forgiveness? And do you think younger voters realize how much Biden has done to provide this solution to as many student loan holders as he can after the Supreme Court throughout the legislative relief? 

Many high school students have not started to think critically about how student loan debt will impact them after they graduate college. At this point, most students are only concerned about getting into college rather than how they are going to pay for it. Unfortunately, President Biden does not get enough credit for all of the relief that he has provided to those with student loans. I hope that his work on this issue will become more apparent during Vice President Harris’ campaign.

Our young Democrats panel (L-R): Kristen Pruitt, former president of Young Dems of Greenville; Jacob Taylor, president of Furman University Democrats; and Evan Lawton, president of South Carolina HS Democrats.

2. What is it about Kamala that excites young Dems?

While not the most riveting answer, I think that the fact she is someone other than Donald Trump or Joe Biden is what excites young folks. Most of my peers have no memory of politics before the 2016 election, so it almost feels like Donald Trump and Joe Biden have always been in charge. I believe the change at the top of the ticket has injected much-needed energy into the younger part of the Democratic base.

3. Do you see much enthusiasm from high schoolers (or college freshmen/sophomores) about politics or policy? Do they understand the difference?

This depends on the student. I think that due to the increase in social media usage, many high schoolers are learning more about politics than they otherwise would have. One example that perfectly represents this is the conflict between Israel and Gaza. The use of social media has played a massive role in the public perception of this conflict, and I believe that many students have become activists because of what they have seen on social media. Whether or not this will translate into a genuine interest in politics or policy remains to be seen.

4. Do high schoolers normally vote like their parents? And does college change that dynamic?

In my experience, it is truly a mixed bag. I have friends who share their parent’s views and friends who are the polar opposite of their parents. I think a large factor outside of the home is who you are friends with. Many high schoolers will share similar political views as their friends, whether or not it is something they talk about. I will let the others speak to college voters.

5. Will younger voters vote Democratic more than their parents do, in your view?

Yes, I believe that younger voters will vote more Democratic than their parents. One important piece of this is how accepting our generation is. For my generation, we have grown up in a world different than the one our parents did. Our country has gradually become more accepting and progressive. I believe that this will continue with our generation and directly translate to more Democratic voters.

6. How important is climate change? And what are the key issues for younger voters?

Climate change is an extremely important issue to many high schoolers. I think that with all demographics, however, it is more important of an issue to some than to others. Some of the other important issues to high schoolers include gun violence prevention, education policy, fighting book bans, and LGBTQIA+ rights.