The Importance of Young Voters in The Daily Yonder

Photo at top: Heartland Fund Grantee Loud Light empowers young voters in Kansas.

At Heartland Fund, we know the importance of engaging rural youth – and recent research reinforces that message. According to Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), youth made up a significant portion of midterm elections in 2022. Yet our data shows rural young people are among the least contacted and most undecided demographics in our country.

Lack of local news sources, voter registration issues, and stigma around civic engagement are all challenges highlighted by youth organizers in The Daily Yonder.

“There’s this huge opportunity to engage with young people [and] to give them the opportunities to learn more about the system and make their mark,” said Heartland Fund Communications and Policy Director Michael Chameides.

_{Photo at top: Loud Light}