Young US voters key to Democrats victory in midterms

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02:36

Young voters could make a big difference. They're expected to vote in record numbers in Tuesday's midterm elections and could lift opposition Democratic Party 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 she is getting political for the first time in her career.

On October 7, 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, and 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.

The younger generations say they want more checks and balances in Washington. That can only be achieved if Congress and the White House are not dominated by one party as it is today. Democrats are counting on the youth vote, but the question remains: Will young people actually come out and vote?