Inside the Harris campaign's push to get young voters to the polls

The Harris-Walz campaign used Voter Registration Day to launch a “Youth Vote Week of Action” on Wednesday aimed at mobilizing Gen Z to head to the polls. The initiative combines social media outreach with in-person events on college campuses in key swing states such as Georgia, North Carolina, and Nevada. The team announced an “all-hands-on-deck mobilization” designed to “reach young voters where they are—online and in person, on campuses, and in their communities.

” Since announcing her candidacy, Vice President Kamala Harris has aimed to cut through the crowded online space. The campaign hosted online influencers during the Democratic National Convention to help reach younger voters who primarily gather information through real-time sharing of articles and memes. Harris’ team recognizes that for younger voters, the discourse is taking place on social media.



Now that the campaign has captured Gen Z’s attention , it aims to translate that engagement into solid poll numbers. Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz will travel to college campuses to connect with young voters and collaborate with influencers. The ticket is modernizing traditional, shoe-leather political campaigning methods to hold over 130 events on campuses and at sporting events to register new voters.

Pop star Billie Eilish also joined the effort on Wednesday, using X (formerly Twitter) to encourage voter turnout. “We are voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz because they are fighting to protect our reproductive freedom, our planet, and our democracy,” Eilish said in a video announcing her endorsement alongside her brother, Finneas. “Vote like your life depends on it, because it does.

” x It’s National Voter Registration Day. We are voting for Harris-Walz. The choice is clear.

Check your voting status here: https://t.co/ZPKcYDR7aF pic.twitter.

com/PiFfQpkARW — billie eilish (@billieeilish) September 17, 2024 Harris’ social media campaign team, known as Kamala HQ, aproaches issues in a way that is accessible to young people and strikes the right chord in a tense, high-stakes political moment. The team’s TikTok account posts amusing, tongue-in-cheek memes and inspiring songs set to images of Harris waving at rallies. The account also posts videos that use “trending” sounds from reality show personalities like “Dance Moms” star Abby Lee Miller , as well as “stitches,” which show a viral video laid over a chosen background with added text to create a living meme-like video.

One notable stitch portrays Donald Trump “on his way to vote for Florida’s six-week abortion ban.” According to Pew Research Center data released Wednesday, younger voters, particularly those age 18 to 34, are heavy users of TikTok. Since launching her campaign in July, Harris has gained 4.

4 million followers on the platform. And millennials, now in their late 30s and early 40s, were the first social media generation: They’re chronically online and here to stay. Although Gen Z uses social media more, millennials grew up with social media connecting them to the world, their friends, and their colleagues.

As the Harris campaign marches to the finish line of the election cycle, it is clear they understand that Gen Z and millennials could be the demographics that propel her into the White House. While Trump’s campaign has struggled to replicate the same youth-friendly vibes, the Harris campaign has successfully tapped into the space where young(ish) voters spend a significant portion of their day. A Morning Consult report found that one-third of Gen Z spends more than four hours per day on social media.

Whether driven by a desire for change or a longing for some fun in politics, the campaign is effectively appealing to this key demographic in their own space. Borrowing memes and vibrant aesthetics from pop star Charli XCX’s “brat” summer album, the Harris campaign found its footing with a lime green background and black Arial font to engage younger generations. And although it may be “ goodbye forever brat summer, ” Kamala HQ is moving on to electoral autumn— where the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Please join forces with Gen Z and help send Kamala Harris to the White House! Find a volunteer opportunity near you today..