With the sound of “Have you voted in the midterm elections yet?” still ringing in our ears and our voices still hoarse (who let us have megaphones?), we’re reflecting on the undeniable impact young voters had on Colorado’s election results.

Though the numbers are still being finalized, right now we’re seeing that over one-third of young voters turned out in Colorado, well above the national average, proving that young people voted with a vengeance this midterm election. We expect these turnout numbers to climb as we know many young people voted on Election Day and in person—stay tuned for the final numbers!

Youth voter turnout in this election was at a record high, the second highest turnout of young voters in the last 30 years, just behind the historic 2018 election. Young voters are rightfully being credited for preventing a red wave, including here in Colorado where we:

• Maintained a trifecta, meaning that we can work to pass Youth Agenda policies with the Governor, and in the state house and senate
• Won one of the most competitive elections in the country, electing Dr. Yadira Caraveo to represent CD-8
• Are close to flipping an almost impossible congressional seat on the Western Slope (CD-3) – we are still awaiting the final results
• Elected defenders of reproductive rights and safe, democratic elections to the state Attorney General and Secretary of State
• Are likely to pass Proposition 123, taking a vital first step to invest in affordable housing across the state
• Made our voices clear in SD11 in Colorado Springs, where 8,371 young people turned out and the margin was 2,041 votes; and
• Added a second New Era alum, Brittany Pettersen, to Congress (she joins Joe Neguse, one of our founders, in the U.S. House)

These results would not have been possible without the young people using their voice to vote for issues they care about, from abortion to economic justice. Thank YOU for being a voter.

The New Era team was busy turning out voters across the state during the months leading up to the election by:

• Calling 180,565 young voters in targeted districts across the state
• Walking, golf carting, driving, and sprinting 1,969 voters to the polls across six different college campuses
• Texting 15,252 voters to make sure they knew how and where to vote
• Distributing 255,534 voter guides to ensure young people voted down ballot on some of the most competitive races
• Knocking 756 doors in highly competitive districts like CD-8 and HD-59/CD-3

Our team worked tirelessly to be a part of this historic turnout. While we’re taking some time to rest in the coming weeks, we also know that our work doesn’t stop here. Campaign promises only go so far—and we plan on holding our newly elected leaders accountable to the Youth Agenda.

While Tuesday night brought many victories, we also lost some critical fights like Initiative 305 (No Evictions Without Representation) in Denver, which would have prevented unjust evictions and addressed homelessness. Housing is a top issue for young people, and democracy only works when our representatives actually represent THE PEOPLE, so we must keep organizing. Expect to see us at the capitol next session throwing down for affordable housing and reproductive rights.

TL;DR: Young people showed up to vote, and we’ll keep showing up—to town halls, committee hearings, direct action, and in community—until we build the world we dream of.