OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — Election Day is two weeks away, and there’s a big push to grab the "Gen Z” vote.
The best places to find them are college and university campuses. Grand Valley State University is a major campus here in West Michigan.
GVSU's main campus covers more than 1,300 acres in Ottawa County. A student population of more than 22,000 is mostly in Allendale.
Many students from outside the area now live in Ottawa County, and hundreds of them have registered to vote here.
"I’m from the west side of Detroit, Michigan. I'm studying communication sciences and disorders as my undergrad," Ashyah Zander said.
Zander is one of the many newly registered people in Allendale Township who could impact local races.
Recently, Zander and others participated in a mock election. Come this November, their votes will count toward issues that matter to them.
"One that I've been thinking about the most is the economy because I watched my mother struggle. I don't want her to keep struggling," Karilyn Anderson said.
FOX 17 looked at the numbers to see the potential Gen Z impact in this year's election. We asked the Allendale Township clerk to know the 18- to 21-year-olds registered in their five precincts.
- Total: 1,924
- 9/22–10/21: 550
- 9/1–10/21: 762
- Precinct 5, which contains most of GVSU's main campus: 961
The clerk explained in total, there are 14,995 registered voters in all five precincts as of Tuesday.
"I signed up one day going to class, and it was more convenient. Super easy," Jaylen Moore said.
The New York Times showed the impact the GVSU vote can have in a sea of red. The Times data shows Biden won in 2020 by 29 points with around 1,200 votes total.
"State law has made it such that it's just a lot easier in this state to vote. Is that going to get everybody to the polls? No, some people are just not... they're not interested," Grand Valley State University Prof. Dr. Donald Zinman said.
He adds that people have often voted down ticket since the early 2000s.
"You see on the ballot that you know he, she, he, she, whoever is listed as a Republican or as a Democrat, then as a voter, you can deduce probably what their values are. It's not a perfect correlation," Zinman said.
The GVSU professor explains that there is voter drop-off. Zinman adds that this happens when people vote only for the notable races while skipping local or non-partisan elections.
"If the party label is on the ballot, that actually does help voters to make at least somewhat of a better, more informed decision," Zinman said.
Many students tell me they're motivated by the presidential race. That turnout could impact the election for the District 8 Ottawa County Commission, a district that largely includes GVSU.
Ottawa Impact incumbent and Republican Commissioner Sylvia Rhodea faces Democratic candidate Becky Patrick. To GVSU students like Jolienne Schutte, public health is a key issue in her vote.
"When I think of Ottawa Impact, I'm thinking of some issues with the libraries in the county and issues with masking health, public health, specifically," Schutte said.
Rhodea signed off on budget cuts to the health department two years ago. Patrick has pushed to see funding restored.
"I have family members who are immunocompromised, and I'm just very scared of losing them," Schutte said.
Student voters are clearly engaged in this election cycle.
"Every vote matters. People say that it doesn't. It really does," Zander said.
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