On Tuesday, November 8th, 2022, voting for the midterm elections started. As of November 28, some of the ballots are still being counted, but it is undeniable that the Republicans took control of the House and the Democrats retained control of the Senate. In total, there was a remarkable number of over 42 million voters. 

Previously, the president’s party has only remained in control of the Senate after midterms three times— the 2022 midterms being the third. The Democrats maintaining control of the Senate shocked the nation, considering Biden’s approval rating of 40%. 

The 2022 midterm elections also stood out due to the astounding number of voters, many being a part of the younger generation. Many believe Gen Z voters stopped a ‘red wave.’ CIRCLE (Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement) reported that the 2022 midterm elections had one of the highest numbers of young voters.

The younger generation of voters have been very politically active and decided to take matters into their own hands. Nineteen-year-old Kaleb Purswell expressed, “They [older generations] think we are turned off by politics. In reality, we are just done with the way our government is being run.”

In a press conference on November 9th, 2022, President Joe Biden thanked the young voters for their contribution to the outcome of the Midterm Election: “I especially want to thank the young people of this nation, who — I’m told; I haven’t seen the numbers — voted in historic numbers again.”

Biden claims the citizens were voting in order to continue addressing student debt, gun violence, personal rights and freedoms, and the climate crisis. 

Biden also recognizes that the younger generation of voters are still frustrated. The 20-year-old Freshman at George Washington University, Maddie Billet, commented, “We’re angry with policies and practices that have set up our lives to be a struggle from day one.”

Billet continues to say, “We were born into a world where the environment is crumbling, democracy is dying, bigotry is becoming the norm, and we’re angry about it.”

The 2022 election demonstrated how Gen Z is stepping up and making their voices heard. As more of the generation is able to vote, experts predict that they will continue to be politically active and assert themselves and their opinions.