With a consequential election on November 5 looming, voters’ voices are more important than ever. Even outside of the presidential contest, a slew of other pivotal issues will be voted on in Denver. As the landscape and demographics of the city evolve, Generation Z voters are more important than ever and want their voices to be heard.
On October’s edition of the Bucket List Community News podcast, we sat down with Isabel Guzman and Travis Brooks from Metropolitan State University (MSU). Guzman and Brooks work as student journalists for The Metropolitan, MSU’s student paper, and provided us with invaluable insight into how Gen Z voters are feeling ahead of election night.
“I think that everyone that I’ve talked to, whether that be friends, family or people I’ve been interviewing for my stories, kind of feel the same that I do—a little anxious,” Guzman said. “I think people are also a little fed up with not liking their options, and that’s how it’s kind of been the last few elections.”
Guzman added that she feels like many on MSU’s campus feel boxed in by the presidential candidates put forward by the two major parties. There’s a sense of having to pick between the lesser of two evils, which has led to Gen Zers feeling underrepresented this election season.
“Compared to the last two elections, it’s still a feeling of ‘Okay, who do I have to choose that represents me the most, but not completely,’” Guzman said.
To help combat the lack of viable options for president, there’s a ballot measure this year that would implement ranked choice voting for primaries in the state of Colorado. If it were adopted, Colorado voters would be able to rank their favorite candidates and vote for third parties with little to no risk of feeling they’re wasting a vote. Brooks is curious to see if that measure passes and how it changes the landscape of elections in the state.
“I’ll be really interested to see what happens with the upcoming Colorado ballot measure that would implement ranked choice voting,” Brooks said. “I think that will tell us about how people are feeling.”
An issue that’s struck a chord with Gen Z this election cycle, including Guzman and Brooks, is the rising cost of living and lack of affordable housing in Denver. any Gen Zers feel like they’re being priced out and pushed out of the city.
“Younger people feel like the ladder is being pulled up from in front of them,” Brooks said. “The cost of housing is just getting more and more expensive. It’s going in the wrong direction still for young voters.”
Brooks also alludes to the fact that there’s a bit of a disconnect between Gen Z and older generations when it comes to the rising cost of houses. While older property owners directly benefit from the increasingly expensive housing market, it’s becoming harder for younger people to find places they can afford to live.
“[The increased cost of houses] is great if you’re a homeowner and the cost of your house is just going up and up and up,” Brooks said. “That’s great for your retirement and your ability to sell your home and do whatever you want to do; that gives you a lot of freedom. For people that aren’t property owners yet, it’s going to be a lot harder to get into the housing market and to buy a home.”
“I think a lot of younger voters are annoyed,” Guzman adds. “Whether it’s a presidential candidate, a mayoral candidate or a governor candidate, they always seem to have a [affordable] housing policy, but it never seems to come to fruition.”
After hearing so many undelivered promises from politicians regarding affordable houses, Gen Z is beginning to feel disenfranchised by politics.
“That can speak to the broader narrative that politicians can kind of say whatever they want to get the vote,” Guzman said. “I think Gen Z voters are becoming more conscious of [thinking] ‘Are you going to actually follow through with that?’ I think there’s a lot of frustration behind this election for younger people, especially when it comes to housing insecurity.”
On election night, The Metropolitan will be teaming up with Bucket List and Student News Live for Denver-focused election coverage. “You can expect a really good collaboration that comes out on digital media,” Guzman said.
Make sure to bookmark Bucket List’s website so you do not miss a single second of our live election night coverage, and, most importantly, remember to vote!
