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UPDATE: Millennials Choose Clinton, But Not Enough Vote

© George Howard
© George Howard
UPDATE: As this article was based on earlier facts and figures, the turnout information is now out of date. 538 has some of the newest figures, as it looks like this was not a low turnout election at all.

Results show that voter turnout in America was down in Election 2016.

And while Millennials nearly blanketed the voting map for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, there weren't enough of them to overtake Baby Boomer voters for President-Elect Donald Trump.



America's largest generation, Millennials, voted for Clinton. Millennials are people who were ages 18 to 34 in 2015.

But President-elect Donald Trump won two significant age groups: 65 and older with 53 percent to Hillary Clinton's 45 percent, and 45 to 64 year olds with 53 percent to Clinton's 44 percent, according to exit polls. This means a large majority of Baby Boomers, America's second-largest generation, voted for Trump.

Baby Boomers are defined as people between the ages of 51-69.

This map from Survey Monkey shows the extent of Millennial voting for Clinton.





However, a deeper look into Millennial voting shows a move toward Trump that would not be predicted from looking at earlier data. Clinton managed to get 5 percentage points less from the 18- to 29-year-old voting block than Obama garnered in 2012.

We do not know the exact turnout numbers of Millennials yet, as votes are still being counted, but the youth vote declined from 51 percent in 2008, to 45 percent in 2012, according to The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.

What could have caused voter apathy among Millennials?

One common theme was the race was a choice between a lesser of two evils.

Millennials could've been compelled to stay home instead of vote in an election they don't believe in, or feel disenfranchised from. The Guardian talked to voters in Nevada who said they "don't like this election," and were weighing if they would vote or not.

In a Harvard Poll of Millennials recently, that age group expressed fear about the future. "Everything seems out of control, and our politicians care more about themselves than doing the right thing for all Americans. We're extremely divided, and very few seem to have any interest in trying to unite us," said one respondent.

Lack of faith in the future is also a possible factor in turnout. Fortune reported that "After decades of failed wars and economic policies that have exacerbated income inequality and left half of all millennials living paycheck to paycheck, millennials have lost faith in our political system to solve their problems."

It is also simply harder to vote as a young adult, as Millennials are mobile, moving from school to work. "If politicians want more young people voting, they can find ways to encourage it," said the Washington Post. Making it easier to obtain an absentee ballot, or automatic voter registration, might offer more benefits than costs.

Trump will be inaugurated on January 20, 2017. Protests by Millennials and other young Americans are erupting in large cities nationwide.

See all News Updates of the Day

‘Study away’ programs in the US can provide enrichment opportunities 

FILE - Students walk on the campus of Boston College, April 29, 2024, in Boston.
FILE - Students walk on the campus of Boston College, April 29, 2024, in Boston.

While studying abroad can expose students to new cultures and experiences, researchers are finding that domestic ‘study away’ programs can be helpful as well.

Some students, including those on an international visa, may not be able to study abroad, but they can travel to other locations in the U.S. for enrichment experiences, Ashley Mowreader writes in Inside Higher Ed. (October 2024)

Fewer students disclose race in applications to top colleges 

FILE - An unidentified person walks past Harvard yard at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 7, 2023
FILE - An unidentified person walks past Harvard yard at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 7, 2023

FAfter the Supreme Court’s decision to end affirmative action in college admissions last year, fewer students are disclosing their race or ethnicity in applications to top colleges.

Writing in USA Today, Zachary Schermele notes that the data is preliminary, but it could signal a change in the way students are approaching college applications. (October 2024)

Overall college enrollment is up, first-year enrollment down 

FILE - A student delivers packages to the dormitory at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024.
FILE - A student delivers packages to the dormitory at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024.

For the second year since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, college enrollment has climbed in the United States.

But the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center noticed a substantial drop in the number of freshmen, which could be troubling for future enrollment, according to a report in Forbes. (October 2024)

South African universities embrace AI, seeing it as equalizing tool

South African universities embrace AI, seeing it as equalizing tool
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The rise of AI tools like ChatGPT has sparked debate in higher education, raising questions about ethics and integrity in teaching, learning and knowledge creation. In South Africa, some academic institutions are taking a proactive approach, integrating AI into their curricula. Experts say this step is not only innovative but also helps level the playing field among students. Zaheer Cassim reports from Johannesburg.

International students may be able to get jobs at school 

FILE - Northeastern University graduate student Shabbir Hussain, of Indore, India, left, views a computer screen at the entrance to the Snell Library on the Northeastern University campus in Boston on May 24, 2016.
FILE - Northeastern University graduate student Shabbir Hussain, of Indore, India, left, views a computer screen at the entrance to the Snell Library on the Northeastern University campus in Boston on May 24, 2016.

International students studying in the United States may be able to work on campus.

Jobs can include working in libraries, labs, food service and dormitories – but students will have to research the rules before applying for jobs, according to U.S. News & World Report. (September 2024)

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