Highlights from the ABC special “Facing the Facts” urge Generation Z to vote in November

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — With less than three weeks until Election Day, efforts to reach voters, particularly younger ones, continue.

This topic is the focus of a story in the new ABC streaming series “Facing the Facts.”

With his curly brown hair and bright smile, people sometimes think Ben Binday is younger than he really is.

“I’m 20 years old,” said the student.

Even though he looks young, he is ready to face an age-old rite of passage: the choice.

“This is something I’m really excited about,” Binday said.

For him and other members of Generation Z, it will be a first to vote in the presidential election.

“I think politicians often don't worry as much about the prospects of young voters simply because people my age don't vote as often and our votes are often taken for granted,” he said.

Organizations are increasingly focusing on Generation Z – those aged 12 to 27 – and 6abc's data team found that 40.8 million members of Generation Z will be eligible to vote in November's election.

“The best messenger to get a member of Generation Z to vote is another member of Generation Z,” said Marianna Pecora, who serves as communications director for Voters of Tomorrow.

The organization is led exclusively by members of Generation Z. Voters of Tomorrow use an approach they call relational organizing to reach Generation Z voters.

“These are kids who are on their campuses, in their communities, talking to voters,” Pecora said.

Voters of Tomorrow is based in Washington, DC and has offices in 23 states.

“In 2022, we were able to contact young people 8.5 million times,” said Pecora.

In Liberty Square, the heart of Philadelphia, Leonzo Vargas spoke about his organization's efforts to engage Generation Z voters.

These efforts are not based on the old-fashioned approach of sending out volunteers with clipboards to register people passing by on city streets to vote.

“The whole clipboard and highlighter case thing doesn’t get much attention,” said Vargas, cultural ambassador for the nonpartisan nonprofit group ShowUpStrong24.

The organization combines voter registration with music, art and culture. They say Generation Z wants to know what's in it for them, so ShowUpStrong is providing resources as new voters register.

“Like a back-to-school shopping trip, like giving away rent,” Vargas said. “We want you to participate, but we also want to get to know you and support you.”

“I think there’s a real misunderstanding of this generation and how we approach politics,” Pecora said.

Much of this engagement occurs on non-traditional platforms.

“Places like YouTube, like TikTok, like Instagram,” Pecora said.

“My generation has so much information,” Binday said.

“But we’re also the generation that grew up with the internet and knows what’s real and what’s not,” Pecora said.

“We’re seeing more than ever what’s happening culturally and civically,” Vargas said.

They say that this has created a more empathetic generation that identifies more with politics than with the party.

“There is a kind of consensus that young people don't fully align themselves with their party,” Pecora said, “and that they don't really care about a party label either. They care about the issues.”

“Left, right, up, down, northwest, southwest, wherever your party is, undecided — we see that everyone has a problem they want to solve,” Vargas said.

“I'm really interested in having my voice and the voices of other people who are like me and my age heard,” said Binday, who now works as a press officer for Show up Strong 24.

He hopes that his Gen Z colleagues will also be ready to demand their place in politics.

“People of my generation have so much power when we vote and make our voices heard,” he said.

You can watch the full Facing the Facts special here.