Gov. Phil Scott and Amanda Janoo both hope that their messages about affordability can attract younger voters.
By Simone Traynor
With Election Day creeping up, incumbent Republican Gov. Phil Scott leads by 3 percentage points, against Democrat/Progressive challenger Amanda Janoo, according to a State Navigate Poll from Oct. 27.
Both campaigns say college-aged voters matter, especially in a race this close. Both candidates’ platforms include plans to build housing that students could afford after they graduate, and to create more jobs. But are Janoo and Scott doing enough to reach younger voters?
While the two candidates differ in their ideologies, on Nov. 3, students might have a consequential say in what happens in Vermont.
According to Stephon Boatwright, a political science professor at St. Michael’s College, students’ impact could be felt if they show up in record numbers.
“Let’s say something truly historic happened because everyone’s so energized, particularly folks from out of state,” he said. “That could definitely end up being decisive in these really close, statewide races.”
Vermont is the country’s third-oldest state, and college-aged students make up just about 10% of the population. Young people also vote less often. About 26% of Vermonters ages 18 to 29 cast ballots in the 2022 midterms, according to Tufts University’s CIRCLE research center.
Theo Sternberg, a field organizer for Janoo’s campaign and recent University of Vermont graduate, said volunteers have been tabling on campuses and canvassing around Burlington. The campaign has also hosted events meant to appeal to younger voters.
“Not just fancy fundraisers, but community events centered around people coming out, listening to each other, talking to their neighbors,” Sternberg said.
Sternberg said Janoo sat down with a group of young people before the Vermont Democratic Party’s Autumn Harvest event on Oct. 23.
“She spent about half an hour asking questions about what they wanted for the future of Vermont, writing down sort of what they said, and then talking about how that fit in with her vision for Vermont,” Sternberg said.
But he also said that Janoo’s campaign plans to do more in the days before the election.
“We’re going to be on campus a bunch, dragging people down to the polls,” he said.
Sternberg says that Janoo’s affordability platform, which includes building permanently affordable housing, should appeal to students who want to stay in Vermont after graduation. She has also discussed job creation, particularly in the renewable energy section, Sternberg said.
Scott’s campaign, meantime, agreed that the college vote is vital in such a close race.
In an email to Community News Service, campaign spokesperson Emma Shouldice said Scott’s goals for affordability should entice younger voters.
“College students feel the pinch of rising gas, energy and food prices as much or more than the rest of us,” she wrote. “They experience the housing crisis while in school or shortly after graduating.”
Shouldice said Scott wants graduates to find jobs and housing they can afford so they stay in Vermont. Her written answers did not mention campus events, outreach or ads aimed at students.
Boatwright, the St. Mike’s professor, said he doesn’t think Scott is tailoring his policies to younger people.
“He is much more interested in the largest share of voters who are middle aged and they’re 40 plus. That is the vast majority of the state, and I think he’s kind of keeping his mind there,” Boatwright said.
Janoo, he said, is “at least aspirationally” speaking to issues students care about, with her anti-elite message. For instance, Janoo has proposed taxing higher earners and owners of luxury second homes to pay for universal primary care, which would create “community health teams” in Vermont towns.
Boatwright also said President Donald Trump’s unpopularity, particularly among left-leaning college students, may harm Scott’s chances.
“There’s very much a historic almost fight right now for control of the states,” he said. “So it’s going to be a pretty consequential one to vote in.”
Back on campuses, students are getting engaged with politics this election season, regardless of candidate initiatives to target them. Boatwright brought the League of Women Voters to the St. Mike’s campus to register students to vote, some of whom for the first time.
At UVM, the College Democrats club has been tabling for Janoo on campus and encouraging students to register to vote, either at home or in Vermont, during club meetings.
Vermont allows same-day voter registration through Election Day. Voters can register ahead of time either online or in-person at the city clerk’s office. College students can register with either their school or home address, but can vote in only one state.
Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship