ReCenter Indiana researched more than 300 Indiana adults aged 18-24 who registered to vote but never cast a ballot in the 2024 General Election. Despite negative feelings toward the government, Jocelyn Vare, ReCenter Indiana executive director, said non-voters are not apathetic.
"They really care," Vare said, "But they are distrustful of government, disappointed by politics and impeded by Election Day barriers."
In Indiana, the youth vote is falling behind the national average. Tufts University Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement found just 39 percent of Hoosiers aged 18-29 cast a ballot in the 2024 General Election. That's below the national turnout of 47 percent.
In ReCenter's report, those surveyed said inflation and the cost of living are their top issues. Most said genuine and honest candidates would motivate them to vote.
They expressed a lack of trust for all levels of the government. Eighty percent said they do not trust the federal government, and 65 percent said they do not trust the state government.
Half of non-voters said they have a negative or pessimistic outlook on the country's future, and 27 percent said they had mixed feelings. Democrats' outlooks were "especially negative," the report said.
"I feel like a lot of things just don't make sense anymore," said an 18-year-old Black woman quoted in the survey "What type of world are we living in? I feel very angry about the decisions that are made, the people in government."
Those surveyed also felt their votes wouldn't make a change. When asked how their votes influence the government's actions, 71 percent said "not much" or "not at all."
"I think for the most part, the government can do things to fix certain issues, but I think the parties are more focused on stifling each other than coming up with a solution," one 20-year-old white man said.
Most respondents said voting was convenient, though some felt work and voting hours and locations were barriers.
Despite negative views on the government and politics, the majority hadn't written off casting a ballot in 2026. Only 16 percent said they will not vote.
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