Young people have been breaking their own voting records with every election

Power Station

It happens during every election cycle. Young adults are characterized in newspaper headlines as apathetic non-voters. This very tired trope, which is contradicted by data, greatly frustrates Kristen McGuire. As executive director of Young Invincibles, the national nonprofit that emerged when young people stepped up to be heard in the lead up to the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, she lives the actual truth every day. As Kristin reminds us in this episode of Power Station, advocacy by young people led to a hallmark ACA provision, the ability to stay on parents’ health insurance until the age of 26, a transformative moment for healthcare access in our nation. Since then, Young Invincibles has provided infrastructure, training and support to young leaders who are generating progressive and equitable policymaking at the state and national levels. Its focus in 2024 is on elevating policymaking that increases access to mental health care for young people and all Americans. Governors, college administrators and the White House are listening and incorporating Young Invincibles’ research and recommendations into trailblazing legislation. All of this follows its life-altering impact on Student Debt cancellation. It's time for new headlines.