Young Voters in South Carolina 2026 Gubernatorial Election

Recent trends have shown low voter turnout among young voters in America (United States Census Bureau, 2025). The data previously mentioned contains a trend that has remained consistent in U.S. politics for decades: the older you are, the more likely you are to vote. This begs questions as to why young voters are less likely to be registered voters in political elections. Many young Americans express concern over the way politics are handled at the national level. The 2021 Fall Harvard Youth Poll conveyed Americans' concerns about the state of the U.S., with only 7% of 2,109 18-29 year olds claiming they felt the U.S. was operating with a healthy democracy (Harvard Youth Poll, 2021). Considering these concerns, there is a gap in current research pertaining to the values of all young adults eligible to vote in U.S. elections. This research will be narrowed to the state level, specifically the 2026 gubernatorial election. This research will employ a questionnaire pertaining to political orientation and values. Young adults (18-22) will complete this questionnaire, their responses compared to the campaign points of the gubernatorial candidates. The researcher will analyze the values of young voters and compare them to that of the gubernatorial candidates. The implications of this project are mainly involving the alignment of politicians and young voters. Is the difference in values between young South Carolinians and politicians great? Or minimal? This research can be applied to upcoming gubernatorial elections and federal elections given its findings.