By: Samantha Walker

2020 has been a year of history-making records and events on every level and platform. Between COVID-19, political tension, and the rise in awareness on topics like police brutality and abortion rights, this is a year of molding and challenging the future.

The 2020 Presidential election is considered a high-stake run considering the policies and beliefs that are up for debate.

While the election results are historical on their own, the projected victory of President Elect Joe Biden and Vice President Elect Kamala Harris is only possible as a result of the wave of young voters going to the polls like never before.

According to recent polls, 55% of America’s youth voted in the 2020 Presidential election, which is roughly 10% higher than the 2016 election.

It is the power of the youngest generation of voters that determined multiple battleground states. Battleground states notorious for holding a certain political affiliation flipped as more votes were counted. Some of the states that flipped their party affiliation this election are Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina.

Some political experts believe it is the youth turn out and their overwhelming support for Joe Biden that gave him the positive probability of winning this election.

Based on information gathered by CIRCLE, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, they state that “The fact that the youth share in 2020 appears to be comparable to or higher than the youth share in recent elections may suggest that young people

participated at a high rate, ‘kept up’ with older voters, and had a major influence on the electorate.”

Heading into the election, representatives and political candidates attempted to hone in on the summer of youth activism to convince young people to take their opinions from the streets to the ballot box. Based on these numbers, it is safe to assume the plan was successful