Indiana groups target young voters with relatable outreach ahead of November midterms

Turnout among 18- to 29-year-olds has lagged the overall vote by roughly 15 percentage points nationally, and Indiana’s youth participation is particularly low. One outlet Indiana and Bellwether Research poll found 30% of 18-34-year-olds more enthusiastic about voting this cycle, yet early-voting records in Indianapolis show just 9.7% of voters were under 30, despite that age group comprising about 23% of eligible voters.

IU Indianapolis senior Nema Eldakar leads the campus Women4Change chapter, urging peers to prioritize voting alongside other concerns. Festival director Nigel Long and his partner LiveFree Indiana launched Naptown Votes, targeting younger Black voters at events like the Chreece hip-hop festival and the BUTTER Fine Art Fair. Founder Garrett Andrew Warner Sr. emphasizes that one outlet must look and sound like the audience. MADVoters executive director Amy Courtney relies on personal outreach at colleges and community gatherings, while first-year student Darrick Compton expresses cynicism, saying he would vote only if candidates seemed genuine and committed to change.