Half of Gen Z Say They Have Lied About Who They Are Voting For

The latest Axios-Harris poll found that 48% of Gen Z voters have lied to those close to them about who they are voting for.

The Data: Millennials came in second with 38% saying they have lied about their vote. In Gen X 17% said they have and 6% of Boomers and older. Overall, a quarter of voters lied about their vote. The problem is multi-partisan: 27% of Democrats, 24% of Republicans and 20% of independents admitted to lying. Men (30%) were nearly twice as likely as women (17%) to say that they’ve lied.

Why The Trend: John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll (unaffiliated with presidential candidate Kamala Harris), said the data shows two trends: that polarization has become so severe that voters are self-censoring to preserve their relationships and Gen Z is more conflict-averse than generations before, and seek to minimize in-person confrontation.

How the Media Covered It: As of reporting, Axios (Lean Left) was the only outlet on the left to cover the poll, while it gained steam with some outlets on the right and center.

Why the Difference?: The split in coverage could be because self-censorship and free speech are topics generally more of interest to the right and center while some on the left view self-censorship as positive.