Gen Z has very different views on taxes than Boomers, but one generation votes more often

Gen Z could be poised to paint California a deeper shade of blue this November — if they turn out to vote.  

An age gap exists across the top issues on California’s ballot this November: youth overwhelmingly favor taxing billionaires and not requiring IDs to vote, while seniors would prefer to block new taxes and impose voter ID requirements. Gen Z voters are also opting for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate – albeit reluctantly. That’s all according to a September report from the Public Policy Institute of California, a nonpartisan research organization.

CalMatters spoke with DemocratIc and Republican voters age 18 to 29 about their attitudes toward California’s gubernatorial race and top election measures. Gen Z support for Xavier Becerra, the Democratic pick for governor, is lukewarm, but that same cohort generally seems eager to vote against his opponent and billionaires this fall.

Nonetheless, young people face an uphill battle when it comes to shifting the balance of power. They make up 30% of the state’s adult population but only 21% of its likely voters; adults age 55 and older, meanwhile, represent 36% of Californian adults but nearly 50% of expected voters, according to the research organization.

”We’re not used to seeing representation that takes into account our needs and our struggles,” said Athena Burciaga, 25, a computer science student at Cal State Monterey Bay. She’s also co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America’s Central Coast chapter and a candidate for city council in the neighboring town of Marina. “So I do empathize with the sentiment that, like, ‘Why give a damn about politics if politics doesn’t care about me?’”

The wide gap over the billionaire tax

Proposition 40, dubbed “the billionaire tax,” represents one of the sharpest political contrasts between generations in California. 

Young voters are arguably a key bloc for the proposition’s passing since slim majorities of likely voters overall back not just the wealth tax, but also its countermeasures, Proposition 41 and 42. Young adults plan to vote overwhelmingly in favor of the measure with around 76% in support, as opposed to 36% of voters age 55 and over that plan to do the same, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. Middle-aged voters, meanwhile, have been generally supportive, with about 59% backing the measure.

To Stanley Shi, a 19-year-old student at UC Irvine, the reasoning behind that generational split is clear.

“I think it’s pretty obvious that older people tend to own property or tend to be wealthier than Gen Z,” said Shi. “Meanwhile, I own nothing… So I’m obviously going to be in favor of a tax that will never threaten to touch me.”

Federal Reserve data indicates that the share of wealth held by the nation’s oldest residents has roughly doubled in the last 37 years, while that of its youngest has been reduced by half. 

According to Burciaga, Gen Z is well aware of their declining economic prospects. She said that may be why youth political organizations on both sides of the aisle have recently seen explosive growth. 

The Young Democratic Socialists of America has grown by over 50% nationwide in the last year, bringing it to the highest membership levels of its 50-year history. 

Meanwhile, Turning Point USA – among the nation’s dominant conservative youth organizations – has also grown tremendously, particularly since the assassination of its founder, Charlie Kirk, last year.

While Turning Point did not respond to recent requests for comment, previous CalMatters reporting found that the organization had seen its presence on California campuses nearly triple as of March, with 78 of the state’s 119 active college chapters founded after Kirk’s death.

“Young people these days are a lot more class conscious overall, wherever they fall on the political spectrum,” said Burciaga. “Our generation is a lot more hip and aware of what’s going on right now than previously because of the material conditions under which we live.”

Young voters lack enthusiasm for Becerra

In the governor’s race, the wide lead enjoyed by Democrat Xavier Becerra over his Republican rival Steve Hilton is no surprise due to California’s party demographics. But perceived instability and disillusionment with the Democratic party has left some young voters lacking confidence in Becerra, interviews show.

A September Politico poll surveying 2,418 registered voters in California, including 174 Gen Z voters, showed that only 34% of those Gen Z voters found Becerra favorable while 39% found him unfavorable.  Yet, a much higher percentage of them, 57%, found Hilton unfavorable.

“I don’t like that he seems to have positioned himself more in the center on some issues,” said Shi about Becerra. “I don’t hate centrism… But I’ve heard that rhetoric for so long and it hasn’t resulted in a lot of the political results that I want.”

Carla Fuentes, 28, president of the Los Angeles County Young Democrats and a graduate of Cal State Northridge, said that the abundance of Democratic candidates running for governor in the primary gave the impression to younger voters that the party lacks cohesion and a clear vision.  

“Becerra is the natural choice, and we’re excited to endorse him and support him in his endeavors, but I do wish that there was a little bit more thought put behind it,” Fuentes said. 

Cole Marting, executive director of the San Diego Young Republicans, believes that Hilton has the solutions necessary to alleviate one of the most pressing issues for young people: affordability.

“He’s really the one that’s saying fees and CEQA and energy rules need to be reformed… Maybe that’s some of the reason that a 28-year-old today can’t afford a starter home,” said Marting, 29. “At the end of the day, Hilton is the affordability vote.”

In an interview with CalMatters, Becerra made an appeal to young voters by saying he will pursue policies to support first-time homeownership, tackle inflation and make healthcare more affordable.

“We have to stop the nonsense, the chaos in Washington D.C., so we can make life more affordable here at home,” Becerra said. “I want you to become a homeowner, I want you to develop wealth because that’s what drives the economy of the state of California.”

CalMatters similarly asked Hilton for his plan for youth, which he said is focused on jobs, affordability, $3-per-gallon gas and housing.

“[California] should be the home of energy and innovation and entrepreneurialism and business and jobs,” said Hilton. “We’re going to make California the best place in America to start and run a business by getting rid of the regulations that are now driving businesses to other states like Texas.”

Gen Z voters are largely against Voter ID

Proposition 39, which would require citizens to present government-issued identification to vote, has been championed by its proponents as a “common-sense constitutional amendment.” 

The aim of the proposition has been to target alleged election fraud in California, a suspicion largely held among MAGA voters. Efforts to reign in alleged fraud in the state have yet to produce any evidence — and in one case was deemed unlawful. 

Earlier this week, federal prosecutors charged 28 immigrants with illegally voting or registering to vote in California. California Attorney General Rob Bonta told reporters 28 registered voters out of 23 million is a “drop in the bucket” and shows no widespread fraud.

Only 27% of likely voters age 18 to 29 support Prop. 39, as opposed to 46% of voters age 50 to 64, according to the polling conducted by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies.

Fuentes, who is also a board member of the League of Women Voters, takes this sentiment even further by stating that Prop. 39 is a “huge misstep” that will deter voter participation by disproportionately making it more difficult for certain groups who lack the ability to obtain proper identification. The league asserts that such measures negatively impact voter turnout among people of color, low-income voters, Native American communities, students, and particularly women going through name changes and divorces.

“I think the idea, the fundamental concept that voting is kind of sacred and voting should be protected, is right. Do I think that this is the way to accomplish that? No,” Fuentes said. 

Jake Krepps, 21, a junior at San Diego State University and president of the campus chapter of College Republicans, said he has no idea if the proposition will pass, but that he and those he knows support it.  

“I think it’s really important to have a good security net to ensure that people who vote … for representatives that are going to represent the American people, that they are themselves American people,” said Krepps.

As many voter ID proponents mention, Krepps said, “you have an ID to drive, you need an ID to fly somewhere. So I think it’s critically important that you have an ID to vote as well.”

Despite his support for the Republican-backed measure, Krepps feels that the majority of the political landscape is deeply flawed and ineffective. When asked how he felt the current state government was serving young voters, he led with one word: “Terrible.”

“Being a legislator and elected official in California is a two-edged sword. You have to address issues and you have to pass policy to accommodate those issues,” Krepps said. “You also need to prove to voters that the policies and the legislation that you’re passing is actually effective … I don’t think the state of California has successfully fulfilled either [of those] issues.”

Dylan Arreola and Tom Nolan are contributors with the College Journalism Network, a collaboration between CalMatters and student journalists from across California. CalMatters higher education coverage is supported by a grant from the College Futures Foundation.