Was 2025 the year of the youth vote in Seattle and beyond?

Carly B. Dykes

November 07, 2025 / 12:01 pm

Despite Seattle’s historically low voter turnout in the first major election since the Trump administration’s second victory, there was a bright spot – young voters backing youthful candidates.

Cities nationwide are showing a similar pattern: young candidates and voters are becoming the new norm even in off-year elections. New Jersey, Virginia and New York City saw the strongest youth voter turnout in years , while New York City elected its youngest mayor in almost two centuries, Zohran Mamdani. Exit polls recorded 78% of voters under the age of 30 cast their ballots for Mamdani.

The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) estimates 34% of yo

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