Minnesota Young Voters Saw Turnout Surge In 2018

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Minnesota saw young voters between ages 18 and 29 nearly double their election participation last fall, but there's still room for the bloc of voters to grow.

State data show almost 40 percent of eligible voters ages 18 to 29 participated in the 2018 midterm election, up from 21 percent in 2014. The 18 percentage point jump surpasses the 10 percentage point increase in turnout from voters ages 65 to 79, though older voters still show up in relatively higher numbers than young voters.

St. Olaf College professor Dan Hofrenning calls the surge of young voters "striking." He tells Minnesota Public Radio that it'll benefit Democrats since younger voters tend to be more liberal.

Hofrenning credits candidates such as Barack Obama in 2008 and Bernie Sanders in 2016 with successfully connecting with young voters.

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