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National and local elections in 2024 are most important for people of color, women and young people. Republicans are targeting these groups with voter suppression tactics. Even without these tactics large segments of each of these populations do not vote.

The Knight Foundation released an unprecedented national survey of 12,000 non-voters done in July and August 2019. It defines “non-voters” as those who have voted only once in the past 12 years. The survey found that non-voters are less educated, poorer, more likely to be minorities, single and women. Amazingly and tragically, these groups are the largest bloc of the electorate who chronically do not vote.

According to the survey non-voters: have less faith in the electoral system consume less news and therefore don’t feel they have enough information are less likely to think increased participation in elections is good for the country are more likely to think “the system is rigged” have a 51% negative opinion of Trump versus 40 percent positive skew center-left on issues like health care

Americans aged 18 to 24 are less interested in politics and less informed. 38 percent say they don’t have enough information to decide who to vote for and feel disconnected from our political process.

If non-voters all turned out in 2020, they would have added 33% to Democratic and 30% to Republican candidates. 18 percent said they would vote for a third party. So, the side that’s more effective at getting out the vote – and turning out new voters – is likely to have the advantage in November. These are voters waiting to be activated.