To Rally Young Voters, Donors Should Support the Alliance for Youth Action

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Among the most worrisome takeaways from recent polling is that young people are less supportive of Democratic candidates than in 2020 or 2022. While Kamala Harris’s entry into the race has helped to change that, her lead over Trump among 18-29-year-olds is still below the 2020 final vote, when Biden won young voters by 25 points.

It’s critical that Harris close this gap and also that young voters again turn out at record-high levels. This will take work on both fronts. Trump has made huge gains among young men and is leading Harris on handling the economy, the top issue for all 18-29-year-old voters. Meanwhile, youth turnout flagged in 2022, compared to 2018, and pumping back up the energy is essential to help Harris and other Democrats win. 

Although voter turnout by young people has surged since 2016, it’s still way below that of older groups. A recent New York Times survey found that young people were far less enthusiastic about voting and far less likely to vote than older Americans.

That’s why Blue Tent recommends that donors support the Alliance for Youth Action, a funder intermediary and capacity-building group that is supporting efforts to engage young voters across the nation. This is your best option for one-stop giving to help Democrats again outperform among young voters this year.

The Alliance for Youth Voting is a Crucial Hub of Growing Work to Engage Young People in Civic Life

Close readers of thisite will notice that we’ve already recommended several youth groups, all of which donors should consider for support (by clicking the following links): Forward Montana, which is galvanizing young voters to help flip a House seat in MT-1 and back Jon Tester, the Senate’s most vulnerable Democrat; Next Up Oregon, which is working to flip a House seat in OR-5 and defend a hold seat in OR-6; New Era Colorado, which is engaging young voters in two competitive House districts; and Texas Turnout Rio Grande, which is registering young voters in South Texas to help flip a House seat there.

What nearly all these groups have in common is that they are part of the Alliance for Youth Action, whose network also includes over a dozen other groups in states like Wisconsin and Georgia. The creation of AYA was a milestone for young organizing. For decades, the right has invested vastly more resources than the left in young people, and that’s still the case today. AYA is one effort to level the playing field. It acts as a donor intermediary to channel money to state groups that are often badly underfunded. It also provides support on administrative and compliance issues, which is critical since young leaders often lack experience in running organizations. 

This year, AYA aims to help its affiliates register 140,000 new young voters and disseminate 2 million voter guides, among many other activities to help Democrats. Its 19 affiliate groups aren’t just persuading and turning out young voters in key races; they are working to win abortion ballot measures in five states. 

An Organizing Approach to Getting Out the Youth Vote in the 2024 Election

Like many groups Blue Tent recommends, AYA takes an organizing approach to strengthening democracy and building power. Young people are often deeply skeptical that their voice matters, which is one reason why they vote at far lower rates than older groups. Drawing them into civic life requires showing them how voting and other political action can change people’s lives. That’s not done through 30-second ads or in a single election cycle. It takes time and ongoing engagement, and all AYA’s affiliates are in this work for the long term—even as they go all-out this fall to help Democrats win. 

Young voters may make the difference in who wins this election. I hope you can support AYA’s critical work in engaging these voters.