FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: New Poll Reveals Millennials Across Political Divide Overwhelmingly Support Path To Legal Status For Immigrants Who Entered Country Illegally

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                      

November 2, 2018                                                                                                      

Contact: Julia Schechter, (917) 282-2754

As President Raises the Volume on Immigration Ahead of Midterms, New Poll Reveals Millennials Across Political Divide Overwhelmingly Support Path To Legal Status For Immigrants Who Entered Country Illegally 

Millennials – more than any other generation – prioritize solutions over partisan ideology, according to findings from Millennial Action Project

 

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 2, 2018 – As President Trump raises the volume on illegal immigration and a caravan of asylum seekers heading to the United States, a new poll from Millennial Action Project (MAP) and the Civil Society Institute reveals a surprising area of cross-partisan consensus on immigration reform: over 60 percent of all Millennials – conservative, liberal and independent alike – support offering immigrants a path to legal status after vetting, even if they enter the country illegally. Days before the midterms, the findings – which are part of a larger survey of 800 millennial voters ages 18-34 conducted by bipartisan pollsters Vince Breglio & Associates and Hart Research Associates this August – provide insight into how this critical voting bloc may cast their ballots on Tuesday.

The poll shows that Millennials, more than any other generation, identify as “Solutions Voters,” who believe practical solutions exist for most of our problems, and are optimistic that we can solve them. This includes policy solutions to addressing immigrant and refugee populations: over 60 percent of Millennials believe immigrants should be offered a path to legal status after vetting, compared to just 50 percent of the general population. And over 40 percent of Millennials want the U.S. to accept our fair share of refugees, compared to 33 percent of older voters.

“These poll results show that Millennials are eager to reject the old fault lines in favor of practical solutions,” said Steven Olikara, Founder and President of Millennial Action Project. “As this generation pulls away from the traditional two-party cage match, it’s telling that the poll also reveals that fixing the political system itself is a top motivation to vote. More Millennials than ever will enter office after November, and I’m hopeful we’ll see real action to put an end to the hyperpartisan gridlock and divisive rhetoric that has gripped Congress and state legislatures for too long.”

MAP estimates that over 250 Millennials have thrown their hat into the ring to run for Congress this cycle, and of that group,104 have won their primaries and will be up for election on Tuesday. Since the 2016 election, the number of Millennials running for public office has surged, including local offices where a record number of Millennials have filed to run. With public polling showing that 60 percent of young people intend to vote in this year’s election, up from 50 percent in 2016, Millennials could be the decisive demographic in November.

Other key findings from the poll provide insight into potential voting behavior on Tuesday:

Millennials tend to align on finding solutions to polarizing issues including immigration, race, health care, and the economy, rather than acting on ideology. For example: 

• Rather than repealing the ACA, Millennials are more likely to support taking action to further ensure access to affordable health care:

  • 40.7% of Millennials support creating a national health plan in which all Americans would get insurance from a single payer government plan vs. 35.6% of the general population

• Millennials view civil rights as an area for increased action:

  • 49% of Millennials consider the country must continue making changes to give blacks and Hispanics equal rights vs. 37% of the general population

Millennials are increasingly identifying as neither Democrat or Republican and tend to support candidates that offer a mix of solutions rather than rhetoric driven by pure ideology.

• Millennials are most motivated to vote for candidates with whom they agree on the issues (33.9%)

  • The second largest motivation for Millennials is to vote for candidates who will change the US system of government by focusing on redistricting and democracy reform (23.9%)

Methodology: The 2018 Civil Society Institute (CSI) and Millennial Action Project national survey of Millennial voters ages 18 to 34 was conducted in August 2018. The survey was based on a national cross-sectional samples of approximately 800 registered voters 18 – 34. Respondents completed an extensive online questionnaire approximately 20 minutes in length.

About The Millennial Action Project

The Millennial Action Project (MAP) is a national, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to activating young policymakers to bridge the partisan divide and lead a new era of collaborative governance. In 2013, MAP organized America’s first-ever bipartisan caucus for young members of Congress, the Congressional Future Caucus. Shaping the next generation of leadership, MAP’s Future Caucus Network has expanded into over 25 state legislatures and grown into the largest nonpartisan organization of millennial elected officials in the U.S. More info available at: futurecaucus.org.