SAN ANTONIO — Texas is experiencing record-breaking early voter turnout among the younger generation compared to the 2016 election.
“Young people generally show up in the last couple of days of early voting or on Election Day, but already we’ve seen more than 800,000 young voters across the state turn out to vote,” said Charlie Bonner of the non-profit called MOVE Texas.
In 2016 during the same time, only 200,000 young people ages 18-30 cast their ballots.
The grassroots organization focuses on mobilizing young people to become politically engaged across the state.
While the presidential race remains at the forefront, Bonner stressed there several other areas where young voters are expressing interest.
“They’re showing up in the streets for racial justice, they’re showing up to fight climate change, to end campus sexual assault, to fight for immigrant rights. We know where we stand on these issues and now we’re at the point where we can take action on those issues locally,” Bonner said.
Texas leads the nation in early voter turnout with nearly 7 million votes cast. Among the thousands who voted on Monday was 26-year-old Ryan Escamilla, whose trip to the polls was a first.
“This is actually my first-time voting. I’ve usually haven’t ever found it as important as I do this year to get out and vote,” Escamilla said.
Social media continues to serve as a primary source of gathering the news for people, especially the younger generation, which could sway results come Election Day.
State data indicates over 60,000 voters aged 18-30 have cast their ballots in Bexar County as of Monday compared to the same time in 2016 where just 20,000 young people voted.