Demonstrators opposed to U.S. President Donald Trump participate in the "No Kings: Vote Early" rally held in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on the 17th (local time). The rally was held to encourage early voting for the midterm elections, establish voting plans, and call for guaranteed access to polling stations. EPA Yonhap News

More than 6 out of 10 young U.S. voters under the age of 30 have expressed their intention to vote in the midterm elections to oppose President Donald Trump and his policies. Amid growing discontent over inflation and the burden of living costs, the young demographic's leaning toward the Democratic Party has also grown stronger. However, only one-third of respondents answered that they will definitely participate in actual voting, leaving how much the youth's discontent will be reflected in the election results as a variable.

63% of Voters in Their 20s Say They Will Vote to "Oppose Trump"

The Harvard Youth Poll released the results of its youth public opinion survey. In a survey conducted from the 30th of last month to the 7th of this month targeting 2,024 individuals aged 18 to 29, 63% of young voters who intend to vote answered that they will cast their ballots to oppose President Trump and his policies. Only 14% responded that they would vote to support President Trump.

Economic grievances among the youth were also prominent. Seventy-seven percent of respondents negatively evaluated President Trump's handling of economic policy. Only 9% answered that the United States is heading in the right direction. This marks the lowest rate in the history of the Harvard Youth Poll. Furthermore, 79% cited rising prices and the burden of living costs as major threats to long-term economic stability.

However, it remains uncertain whether this discontent will translate into actual turnout. Young people who answered that they will definitely vote stood at 33%, down from 40% in a survey conducted ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. Notably, the decline in voting intentions among Republican-leaning youth was striking. While 50% of Democratic-leaning youth answered they would definitely vote, only 34% of Republican-leaning youth did so.

A separate poll conducted by The New York Times (NYT) and Siena College also confirmed youth preference for the Democratic Party. Seventy percent of respondents aged 18 to 29 answered that they support or lean toward the Democratic Party. This is a 15-percentage-point increase compared to the survey right before the 2024 presidential election, reaching a level similar to 2008 when former President Barack Obama won the presidency. In the same survey, President Trump's approval rating for handling the cost of living stood at 29%, with negative evaluations at 69%.

The burden of living costs has emerged as a major concern for general U.S. voters beyond the youth demographic. In a survey conducted by the Associated Press and NORC at the University of Chicago from the 8th to 12th of this month, 79% of respondents negatively evaluated President Trump's handling of the cost of living, and 74% expressed negative views on economic management. Eight out of 10 respondents answered that the incoming Congress should tackle lowering living costs as a core agenda.

Democratic Base Flocking to Early In-Person Voting Instead of Mail-in Ballots

Amid court brakes on President Trump's executive order declaring distrust in mail-in ballots and attempting to restrict them, a movement to choose in-person early voting instead of mail-in voting has appeared in some states.

U.S. daily The Washington Post (WP) reported, citing voting data analyses by Professor Michael McDonald of the University of Florida and others, that mail-in ballot applications decreased in 6 out of 8 U.S. states compared to the 2022 midterms. Mail-in ballot applications in Georgia dropped by 40% compared to 2022, but in-person early voting increased significantly. In Wisconsin, more than 55,000 people participated in-person on the 20th, the first day of early voting, marking a 65% increase compared to the first day in 2022.

In North Carolina as well, it was analyzed that more than half of the voters among the Democratic base who had already cast their ballots this year and had used mail-in ballots in 2022 switched to in-person early voting. In Nevada, it was tallied that 18% of the Democratic base who participated in early in-person voting this year had utilized mail-in ballots in the 2024 presidential election.

Zachary Donini, data division head at VoteHub, told WP, "If voters are actively engaged in politics and consume a lot of news, they would know that Trump tried to disable the postal service," adding, "Because of this, reactions like 'I can't trust the postal service. I will submit my ballot in person' are coming out."

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