On Nov. 5, Americans across the country took to the polls, confirmed their absentee ballots were counted, and watched as the election results rolled in. By the morning of Nov. 6, it was confirmed: Donald Trump was elected president with an 86-point lead in the electoral college, winning in both the electoral college and the popular vote (the first time he was able to secure both in his three presidential races).
Throughout the election season, political pollsters and news organizations predicted that Gen Z would be the progressive determinant needed to swing the votes in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris. However, despite her continuous campaign toward the younger demographic via efforts like the @KamalaHQ TikTok page, appearances on popular shows such as Call Her Daddy, and on-trend celebrity endorsements (including Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams, Beyoncé), Harris only managed to capture 51% of young voters compared to Trump’s 47%, according to the Associated Press VoteCast 2024 exit poll — a margin much smaller than many expected.
But those numbers don’t paint the full picture — granted, most numbers can’t, since generations aren’t monolithic, but looking at more specific demographics can help explain how Gen Zers really voted. With that in mind, immediately after the election was called, Her Campus conducted a survey of 600 readers — primarily young women who are in college or recently graduated — to find out how this sub-section of Gen Z voted in the election, and how they felt about the results. And while the generation as a whole may have been more evenly split between the two candidates, these results tell a more nuanced story.
Her Campus’s audience overwhelmingly voted for Harris.
In the November 2024 survey, 95% of respondents said they voted in the presidential election — 53% of whom were first-time voters. When asked who they voted for, 82% of respondents said Harris, while 13% said Trump. Not all voters necessarily voted along their party lines; 78% said they identify as Democrats, 13% identify as Republicans, and 9% said they have other affiliations.
When it came to their actual voting logistics, 41% voted by mail, 31% voted early in person , and 27% voted in person on Election Day. But no matter how they voted, it was clear there was one issue at the top of many minds when they submitted their ballots: 57% of survey respondents named reproductive rights as the No. 1 issue they were most concerned about at the time of voting, followed by the economy, health care, immigration, and LGBTQ+ rights.
Many Gen Z women are dreading the next four years.
Considering how many survey respondents said they voted for Harris, and considering Trump won the election, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that 85% of survey respondents are dissatisfied with the election results, and 84% are pessimistic about the next four years under the Trump administration.
“I am not looking forward to the stress his presidency will cause my family and loved ones, nor am I happy about a return of the person who replaced Ruth Bader Ginsberg with someone so overtly right-leaning. I do not like his policies, and I think that the end result of this election is a human rights concern, both in the USA and worldwide,” Natalie, a 24-year-old from Ohio, says.
I feel betrayed.
“I feel betrayed. I can’t believe my country decided that the first felon president would serve us better than the first Black female president,” Mary*, a 21-year-old from Illinois, says, referencing the trial in which Trump became a convicted felon with 34 guilty counts of falsifying business records on May 31, 2024.
Even voters who do not completely align with Harris are frustrated with the outcome. “I disagree with Kamala Harris on some aspects, but I thought it should have been clear how Trump was not only unqualified (visible from his first four years) but also a threat to all Americans,” Sarah*, 26, from Michigan* says.
The reasoning behind many respondents’ pessimism is the belief that Trump does not have the ability to address key issues: 87% feel negatively about how he’ll address climate change; 86% said the same about reproductive rights, 84% said the same about gun control and 77% said the same about foreign policy.
“I fear for our nation, from rights to our own bodies, the right to marry who we want, the right to be safe in school, have an earth to pass on to our children, the right to protest freely, and even just have accurate education in our schools (along with a million other issues),” Ashley*, a 24-year-old from Illinois, says.
Notably, 71% of survey respondents said they even feel negatively about Trump’s ability to address the economy — a key issue that his campaign ran on and a factor that actually drove many young people to vote for him.
“A lot of people voted in hopes for the betterment of our economy, but they don’t realize that our economy won’t survive these tariffs,” Taylor*, a 21-year-old, from Florida says, referencing Trump’s proposed 10% tariff on imports, and specifically a 60% tariff on China imports. “They also won’t be benefiting from these tax cuts unless they’re in the top 1%.”
Christine*, a 19-year-old from New Jersey expresses worries about Trump’s cabinet nominations and what he might do with governmental organizations, sharing predictions that “Donald Trump plans on firing the non-partisan experts who work in our bureaucratic systems and either removing federal departments or replacing [people in charge] with Trump loyalists. This is deeply concerning.”
Her Campus readers aren’t losing hope for their future.
Despite the overwhelming feelings of frustration, fear, sadness, and resentment, Her Campus readers still express a desire and drive to continue the efforts toward a better country. Many are calling for others who are feeling pessimistic about the election results to turn their negative feelings into action.
It is important now more than ever, to get loud, get in shape, become educated, form alliances, and fight back.
“If you are disheartened by the election, please use the energy to fight back. Volunteer for non-profits or community-based organizations that help the vulnerable population,” 24-year-old Susan* from Utah says. “Vote in local elections and have a say in local policies or amendments.”
Claire, a 22-year-old from Ohio* agrees: “Complacency is what got us here. It is important now more than ever, to get loud, get in shape, become educated, form alliances, and fight back.”
*Names have been changed.