Poll: Young Georgian voters are dissatisfied with the country’s direction, but are eager for ways to make change
Despite anxiety and frustration, young Georgia voters recognize their power to influence the political and economic systems failing Gen Z.
ATLANTA — Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity (URGE), a national nonprofit working to build young people’s power, partnered with public opinion research firm HIT Strategies to survey young voters’ attitudes, perspectives, and priorities. The large national poll oversampled young voters in Georgia, drawing key findings that offer a window into Gen Z Georgians’ state of mind and decision-making.
“I’m inspired by the young people I work with every day who are determined to build a future that works for them, despite barriers that stand in their way,” URGE Georgia Communications & Cultural Strategies Manager, Aleo Pugh, said. “In spite of cultural and political narratives that paint Gen Z as apathetic, their engagement in expansive modes of civic engagement proves otherwise. They are fired up to make change – both those that are legible to mainstream electoral politics and those that fly under the radar.”
Key findings from the poll include:
- Young voters in Georgia are anxious and frustrated by the state of the country. A majority (76%) are dissatisfied with the country’s direction and see wealth and political power as concentrated against them. More than nine in ten young Georgians are concerned about the power of billionaires, and 44% say the influence of corporations and the ultra-wealthy makes them less motivated to vote, which is the leading reason for reduced motivation to vote in the midterms. When asked about the state of the country, Gen Z Georgians’ emotions are overwhelmingly negative, with anxiety (46%), frustration (32%), and anger (30%) most commonly cited.
- Economic security and affordability dominate young Georgians’ concerns. From a long list of issues, housing costs rank as their top personal concern (97%), followed by deep worry about access to affordable healthcare (93%) and uncertainty about affording basic necessities (87%). Three in ten struggle to pay their bills, while another 47% make only enough to cover them.
- Young adults across the ideological divide are concerned about a broad range of issues, including reproductive healthcare access, ICE tactics, and discrimination against immigrants and transgender people. Notably, 86% of Georgia’s young voters are concerned about laws restricting or banning abortion, and 84% are concerned about whether they and their loved ones will be able to access reproductive care amid the state’s ongoing fight over restrictive abortion laws and growing maternal health care deserts. 83% are concerned about discrimination against immigrants and 87% are concerned about ICE’s tactics. When asked about discrimination against transgender people, 84% said they are concerned.
“These findings show that Georgia’s young voters are deeply concerned about issues shaping their lives and futures,” said Ashley Aylward, Senior Research Manager at HIT Strategies. “Their concerns about whether they and their loved ones can access reproductive care show just how personal these issues are and signal they will bring these issues to the ballot box. Young people are paying attention, and they want their voices to matter in the decisions that affect them.”
Despite deep anxiety about the state of the country, Gen Z Georgian voters are engaged and determined to create meaningful change. 85% say they are motivated to vote in the 2026 midterms, 98% say they are likely to vote, and 60% believe Gen Z has significant power to make change on issues that matter to them. Many are also taking action beyond the ballot box by discussing politics, boycotting businesses, signing petitions, and donating to causes. However, their optimism is tempered by serious concerns that gerrymandering, misinformation, voter-roll purges, intimidation, and polling-place closures could prevent their voices from being fairly represented.
In the lead-up to midterm elections, building on URGE’s largest civic engagement year ever in 2024, URGE launched an ambitious effort to turn out young voters statewide. In September, URGE launched a campus-based ad campaign at Fort Valley State University, Mercer University, and Spelman College to provide voter education resources so students can make a plan to vote. Georgia organizers have started a text bank to reach young Georgia voters to help them make a plan to vote. Also, URGE chapters at Mercer University, University of Georgia, Wesleyan College, and Fort Valley State University are organizing voter engagement activities on their campuses, such as distributing flyers and tabling with voting information.
The survey included 456 registered voters aged 18–29 in Georgia. The survey was fielded from June 24 – July 9, 2026, and the margin of error is +/- 4.54%.
Read more about the Georgia poll findings here.
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About URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity
URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity is a national nonprofit organization that works to build young people’s power around reproductive issues by centering the leadership of young people of color who are women, queer, trans, nonbinary and people of low income across the South, Midwest, and California.
