Though voters in the United States have to be 18 to cast a ballot, that doesn’t mean young people in Wisconsin aren’t involved in politics.

Sydney Stinson entered the political arena as a child canvassing with her family for President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign.

“I was like six,” Stinson said. “I remember it being extremely cold. But also I remember the importance of it and how we were doing that, and he ended up being elected. And in my mind, as a kid, I was like ‘I did that! You know, I was the one who allowed him to be there.'”

Now as an adult, Stinson is vice chair of the College Democrats chapter at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Their goal is to make politics a habit for their peers by tabling or hosting events like a cookout — or when they put on a forum for candidates running in Assembly District 19.

Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, is the youngest group of voters, and has so far proven more persuadable than previous generations. For example,while President Joe Biden won by about 25 points in 2020, Vice President Kamala Harris won the youth vote by a mere 4 points in 2024.

For campaigns looking to win the Gen Z vote in 2026, they have to dance with these 18-year-olds, 19-year-olds and 20-somethings before they get them to the ballot box. Take for example Turning Point USA, a conservative advocacy group that has become a staple on campuses whose supporters routinely favor Republican candidates. Its tables are staffed with student advocates ready to debate or discuss issues with whoever comes up to them.

Zachary Tomlinson, president of the Turning Point chapter at UW-Madison, is well versed in these sometimes difficult discussions.

“The first thing that I always think of when I’m tabling or with talking to individuals from the right or the left is I understand where they’re coming from,” Tomlinson said. “I try to understand their story and where their values come into play, because values are such an important part of where we believe things and where we fall on the aisle.”

For years, political observers assumed that young people rarely vote and when they did, would vote for Democrats. But in the past few elections in Wisconsin, Gen Z voters turned out in high numbers, even in off-cycle elections like in 2023 and 2025. And in 2024, President Donald Trump gained support on many Wisconsin campuses.

As to how these changes happened, Anthony Chergosky thinks Turning Point USA and its founder Charlie Kirk are a good example.

“I think one thing that set Charlie Kirk apart from a lot of people on the right is he treated the Gen Z vote as up for grabs, and he treated the Gen Z vote as highly persuadable,” said Chergosky, who is a political science professor at UW-La Crosse.

Kirk, like his organization, traveled to college campuses and debated students wanting to challenge his conservative beliefs. He was assassinated while speaking outdoors to a crowd at Utah Valley University in September 2025.

“Before him, I always thought politics as debate, debate, debate — a right and a wrong — and there must be some debate in the middle,” Tomlinson said. “Now I’ve come to believe there’s discussion. There’s discussion to find a truth.”

In the wake of losing young voters in 2024, Democrats are eager to reinvigorate Gen Z to liberal causes.

“I think that’s really been the issue is getting people interested in, ‘Well, why would I vote if I feel like nothing changes?'” Stinson said. “Well, we want to show you what could change.”

Young voters aren’t just divided by party, but also on gender. In 2024, Gen Z men shifted to the right more than Gen Z women. One contributing factor sticks out: the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the right to abortion in 2022.

“The Dobbs ruling might have had a particular impact on younger female voters, because they’re coming of age at a time when there is significant turmoil on the issue of abortion,” Chergosky said.

Meeting Gen Z where they are also means meeting them online.

Much of Charlie Kirk’s success came from viral clips. The “manosphere” is an online circle of male content creators who focus on masculinity identity issues, with creators like Theo Vonn or Joe Rogan. It’s often cited for Gen Z men shifting right in 2024.

While Democrats have searched for what’s described as a Joe Rogan of the left, Chergosky said that’s the wrong direction for them to look.

“People aren’t watching Joe Rogan or listening to Joe Rogan or listening to Theo Von because they crave political content,” Chergosky said. “I think the young men who are drawn to those programs are looking for entertainment. They’re looking for self-improvement content, they’re looking for comedy, and politics finds them there rather than them seeking out politics.

Unlike 2022, abortion is not a primary issue on the ballot this cycle. What’s top of mind for young people is more universal: the economy.

“Paying for gas that’s over $4, or paying for groceries like basic necessities that aren’t as cheap as it used to be,” Stinson said.

“To pay off that student debt, that a lot of people are running into hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt that they’re paying off throughout the rest of their lives,” Tomlinson said.

While young voters remain divided on how to address issues, they do want politicians to know one thing: Gen Z wants in.

“Being far right and being far left is okay, but it’s not going to get us anywhere in the end of the day. I hope one day we can come together and form the country that we desire,” Tomlinson said.

“We’re here for you just as much as you’re here for us,” Stinson said. “As much as we want to help you get somewhere, you also need to help us.”