The mobilization of young voters this year will be a critical factor in the mid-terms. In Texas, Dem Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke has been focusing on college voters across the state in rallies and town hall sessions, and is seeing a surge of early voting for that normally disengaged demographic.
Nationally, the trend is encouraging for Dems:
Over 1.5 million people under the age of 30 have already voted in this country, despite many states making it near impossible for younger people to vote early. This is compared to only 563,000 votes cast in the same time period in 2014.— Tom Bonier (@tbonier) October 31, 2018
Many are energized by the candidates themselves: O'Rourke in Texas, Gillum in Florida, and Abrams in Georgia. They are also opposed to the Rethuglican agenda on climate change, gun safety and the treatment of immigrants, among other issues.
While these are good indicators, never be lulled by predictions or forecasts. How many Dem and Dem-leaning voters sat out 2016 because they thought Secretary Clinton had the election already won? That mistake has cost this country dearly. Many states' early voting timeframes are closing soon. Get. Out. And. Vote.
