RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – Congressman Wiley Nickel hosted a young voter roundtable at Shaw University on Monday. Nickel said it was part of an effort to teach college students about the importance of this year’s election and district maps.
The 2024 district maps were one of the main talking points of the day, with Nickel saying the current maps weaken the Democratic party’s voting power. Republicans have argued the maps were drawn fairly and will hold up against legal challenges.
The discussion also centered around the need for young people to exercise their right to vote.
Student leaders from Shaw University and St. Augustine’s University said it was important for them to continue the dialogue between students and elected officials.
“I want to make sure our students know who is representing them. We have a lot of students around North Carolina, and many of them don’t know who their representatives are or senators,” said Zaid Steele, student body president at Shaw University.
Miles Beasley, a student at St. Augustine’s University, said while many of his peers follow the presidential election, they don’t pay close attention to their local elections.
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“When it’s time for us to elect a new leader of the free nation, they understand that. The part they don’t understand is how to elect the commissioners, they don’t know how to elect the auditor,” said Beasley.
The discussion comes as Gen Z voters become a key demographic in the 2024 elections. According to a recent report from Tufts University, Gen Z youth make up more than 40 million potential voters in 2024, 57% of which said they were “extremely likely” to vote this year.
The roundtable was also a chance for Rep. Nickel to hear more about key policy issues amongst college-aged voters.