On elections

As elections get tighter, young people are political kingmakers.

Gun safety is a WINNING issue.

Youth are turning out to the polls in record numbers, and our vote determines the outcome of tight races. We know just how essential it is to wield our democratic right to vote. In fact, since we first marched in 2018, the youth vote has soared to record highs, with many young people citing marching or organizing with March For Our Lives as a key reason they stay civically engaged. 

The fact is, our generation was raised with the constant threat of gun violence. Through active shooter drills and the neverending news of yet another shooting, it’s no surprise that gun safety is a driving issue for young people and our politics. As our generation becomes a larger part of the electorate, one thing is clear: We will not allow politicians to remain in office without working to end gun violence. So, we’re voting like our life depends on it — because it does. This horrific cycle ends with us.

Based on our polling, gun violence, abortion access, and climate change were the top issues on young voters’ minds in the days leading up to the 2022 midterm. The upcoming election promises the same. We are the generation that has grown up not knowing if we’d make it home alive from school, whose grandmothers’ have more reproductive rights than we do, and whose futures are threatened by the imminent danger of climate change. We vote to protect our lives and the lives of future generations.

What we know

Young people are turning out in record numbers, defying expectations and securing our choice of candidates. There’s no room for candidates to ignore us anymore — we are an indisputable force. Youth voters have historically been overlooked, with candidates brushing off their obligation to represent their young constituents. But now, candidates can’t risk ignoring us. 

In 2024, Gen Z will comprise 40 million of the voting electorate. We’re a huge voting bloc, and we know it. About 57 percent of youth are extremely likely to vote in 2024, with an additional 15 percent who are fairly likely to, compared to just a decade ago when only 13 percent cast their ballots. 

Young people vote based on issues, not by candidate. We see through the BS and pay greater attention to the issues that matter most to us, like gun violence prevention, which holds fast as one of our top issues. In 2022, we saw candidates with bold platforms on gun safety win big, while no candidate lost an election because of passing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Candidates can no longer hide from us, excusing their inaction as abiding by their constituents’ political stances. We demand change, and we demand it now.

With gun violence prevention candidates elected up and down the ballot, we can finally put an end to gun violence. We will no longer fear dying looking down the barrel of a gun. We will create a better, safer community, eliminating the need to pick up a gun in the first place.

What we do

Since 2018, March For Our Lives has been at the forefront of elections, empowering youth to vote. We spurred a historic youth turnout in the 2018 midterm elections, with a 47% increase over the last midterm election and the highest percentage of youth voter turnout ever. Voters made it clear that the status quo was no longer acceptable — a record 46 NRA-backed candidates lost their elections that November.

In every election since then, MFOL has been devoted to turning out the vote and providing the resources needed for youth to make our voices heard. We register young people to vote, craft voting plans, and score candidates on their gun safety platform. The 2024 presidential election is no different. So, if elected officials intend to keep their jobs, they must put their constituents’ safety above partisan politics. We will not sit idly by as they sign our death warrants. We will continue turning out to vote in record numbers, shaking the status quo and demanding a future free of gun violence.