Good article in the The Guardian about Brexit voting patterns that underscores the vital importance of the youth vote here in the U.S. turning out for Hillary in November’s presidential election. Fully 75% of voters under 24 in the UK voted to remain in the EU. However, the turnout for retirees — who on the whole generally supported Brexit, was great enough to offset the “remain” youth vote.
The median age in an area was the strongest predictor of turnout and showed a familiar pattern – the older the median age in an area, the more likely it was to have had a high turnout.
It also seems some of the younger voters cast a vote for Brexit in protest as a means of expressing overall displeasure with the status quo, failing to appreciate the potential consequences of the collective impact of these protest votes.
Even voters who chose the Leave option have expressed regret after their side won. “I did not think that was going to happen, I didn’t think my vote was going to matter too much because I thought we were just going to remain,” a young man named Adam told the BBC. National Memo
Bernie Sanders did really well in the primaries with voters under 30, collecting 70% of their support. If the Brexit vote is any guide, young voters especially need to have a strong turnout in November and appreciate their individual vote does matter. Frittering it away in protest or not voting at all can have dire consequences. Let’s hope Bernie does everything in his power to encourage, engage and energize young voters to support Hillary on November 8.