The national issues that matter to Boston.com voters

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Even though the 2024 presidential election continues to be greater than six months away, it’s ever-present for voters. And contrary to popular belief that young voters are indifferent to civic engagement, most young people plan to vote in November.

According to a Opinion poll More than half of young Americans say they plan to vote within the 2024 presidential election, in keeping with a study by the Institute of Politics (IOP) at Harvard Kennedy School.

Sayles Kasten, the managing director of New Hampshire Youth Movement, a progressive youth-led organization that goals to mobilize voters across the state and promote candidates and policies, said the narrative of apathetic young voters is a fallacy. As an example of their enthusiasm, he pointed to the recent spate of nationwide campus protests against Israel's war in Gaza.

“If young people were apathetic, they wouldn’t protest,” he said.

Despite their enthusiasm, it won't be a simple group to win over young voters in November, Kasten said.

“I think it’s fair to say that Biden still has a lot of work to do to re-energize the young people who gave him his victory in 2020,” he said. “But I think young people are passionate about issues, and I think they want candidates who are big and bold and will dismantle rigged systems.”

In fact, the Harvard poll found that the one area where former President Trump has a bonus over Biden is enthusiasm. Three-quarters (76%) of Trump voters say they enthusiastically support their candidate, while 44% of Biden voters say the identical.

Nathan ShraderAssociate professor of politics at New England College and co-director of the varsity's Center for Civic Engagement, said the difference in enthusiasm between the 2 candidates doesn’t necessarily mean a deficit for Biden or a win for Trump, but reasonably a scarcity of connection on the previous's part.

“It’s not necessarily because Trump is doing well. It’s because Biden isn’t making the connection yet,” he said.

How can Biden connect with and motivate this young electorate? Meet them where they’re – literally.

“He has to actually physically show up at the places they are. Younger voters need to see him more and have more contact with him,” Shrader said.

For the overall electorate, economic issues are top of mind, with inexpensive housing a selected concern for young Americans.

“Many young people have difficulty finding affordable housing or a place to live. Housing is definitely something that is a key concern for young people,” he said.

The Harvard survey also found that the economy was an important issue for young Americans. When asked an open-ended query about which national issue apprehensive them most, the survey found just over 1 / 4 (27%) said something related to the economy. At a more granular level, the survey found that inflation, healthcare, housing and jobs specifically are the important thing areas of economic concern.

Like Kasten and the Harvard survey, Boston.com readers said economic issues were amongst their top concerns; Inflation and housing construction together received a 3rd of the vote. Overall, the five issues that mattered most to readers were inflation, housing, climate change, women's reproductive rights and immigration. The majority of the 48 respondents to our survey said they planned to vote in November.

Below is a choice of quotes from Boston.com readers on a few of an important national issues leading as much as the 2024 presidential election.

“Climate change goes beyond cyclical politics and will lead to massive destruction if not addressed immediately.”

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“Although all of the above issues are important, Climate change affects every person in the world. It displaces millions of vehicles every year and costs billions of dollars in repairs. I know the problem is not as bad as it was, but we still have a lot of work to do to fix the problem.”

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“I wish people would frame Climate change in economic terms. It is a boon to our economy and a source of new jobs.”

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“I support Joe Biden and think so Housing is the biggest issue affecting Americans right now.”

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“Many of the issues that matter most to young people’s finances and futures today, such as: Inflation, violence and jobscan be massively alleviated by tackling the problem Real estate crisis.”

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“I'm from San Francisco and I'm tired of seeing so much human suffering and degradation. The Dehumanization of the homeless coupled with so many failed attempts to get people off the streets is incredibly heartbreaking to me. I know this country can do more for the most vulnerable.”

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“I am 29 years old, originally from a red state and have voted Democrat in every election since 2012. I am an active voter, politically engaged and often write to my representatives. I will abstain from the 2024 election because I cannot vote for Joe Biden because of the reprehensible way he has delivered weapons the genocide of the Palestinian people. I'm ashamed that my taxes as an American are going away Financing foreign wars, killing future generations and families. It reveals the value of human life.”

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“I was reluctant to vote for Biden, but after he conceded billions to Israel I can't justify it. Now I don’t know if I will enroll or skip.”

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