Young voters could make a big difference. They're expected to vote in record numbers in Tuesday's elections. CGTN's Karina Huber reports they could lift opposition candidates to victory in some tight races.

Taylor Swift is best known for creating hit pop songs like, 'Shake It Off' that chronicle her personal life but for the first time in her career she's getting political.

On October 7th, she wrote on Instagram "In the past I've been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now."

That post was followed by several others endorsing Democratic candidates in her home state of Tennessee.

Since the election of Donald Trump, young people of all backgrounds seem to have become more political. A new poll by Harvard found 40 percent of Americans aged 18 to 29 plan on voting in the midterms. That would be the highest youth voter turnout for a midterm election in more than 30 years. That bodes well for the Democrats. According to Harvard's survey, 66 percent of those planning to vote lean liberal. That's more than double the amount who support Republicans.

KARINA HUBER NEW YORK "U.S. voters are deeply divided right now over issues like immigration, race and gun control. But to get a better sense of what's tops on the minds of young voters, I hit the campus of New York University and they had lots to say."

DAN CLEARY STUDENT, NEW YORK UNIV. "The environment usually. My mom has been big into that my whole life so I've been hearing a lot about that. That's definitely the biggest."

EMMA INDELICATO STUDENT, NEW YORK UNIV. "With this new administration climate change is being ignored but to me seems the most important to me because we live on the earth so if we're not taking care of the earth or being aware of the planet, it's really our own downfall."

HARRY WINLOCK STUDENT, NEW YORK UNIV. "Off the top of my head, I have to go with women's rights. As a man, I feel I can't just sit back and be like 'oh, that's someone else's problem."

LAUREN BRANIGAN STUDENT, NEW YORK UNIV. "The #metoo movement is a big one for me. After watching the Kavanaugh hearing. I didn't plan on watching them but I just got so fired up watching it that, it just kind of stuck with me that people don't care and we're stuck in this old system."

Young people say they want more checks and balances in Washington. That can only be achieved if Congress and the White House aren't dominated by one party as it is today. Democrats are counting on the youth vote but will young people actually come out? We'll find out on November 6th. Karina Huber CGTN.