OAKLAND – (INT) - The University of California released results from a new survey of California youth Tuesday that provides insights into their political and civic engagement as the November general election approaches amid COVID-19 challenges.

Conducted by YouGov on behalf of UC, the survey asked 18- to 24-year-olds in California about their perceptions of current events — including the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as about their attitudes on voting and the U.S. census — in an effort to better understand how they are engaging politically ahead of this year’s presidential election.

The University also released a concurrent brief summarizing the latest data on undergraduate voter participation and trends among the UC student population. Both the survey data and UC brief reinforce larger national trends showing a surge in youth involvement.

According to the survey, only 18 percent of young California adults say they believe the country is headed in the right direction. When asked to identify the most important issues facing the U.S. today, the COVID-19 pandemic was the leading concern among youth, along with gun violence, jobs and the economy, health care and immigration.

Story Date: December 2, 2020