To Everyone Who Said Young People Wouldn’t Vote: thank u, next.

- Estimates from CIRCLE, a leading research firm, indicate that yesterday’s elections had the highest youth voter turnout for a midterm in the last 25 years.

- Youth voter turnout increased a dramatic 47% compared to 2014. This figure is expected to rise as more information comes in.

- CIRCLE is calling the increase in youth voting “extraordinary” and “historic.”

Young people showed up. We showed up for ourselves, our friends, our families, and our communities. In a year where our generation has been more fired up than ever to advocate for change in our lives, we crushed turnout records to make a government that better represents our diverse interests.

Young people, regardless of their party affiliation, saw problems that needed fixing and collectively worked to ensure our voices were heard. We demonstrated that when our generation bands together we can do incredible, historic things. (Check out election results here and use this post-election self-care guide if you’re having a tough day.)

We made change happen because we organized. From groups like Black Lives Matter, United We Dream, and March For Our Lives to voter registration drives held in high schools and colleges, youth-led initiatives paved the way for this historic election. Together, DoSomething members registered upwards of 108,000 new voters and worked to mobilize our 6 million member base by knocking on doors, tabling at schools, and texting your friends.

Your hard work and dedication were absolutely crucial to the extraordinary youth voter turnout and the incredible impact that young people had on elections across the country.

What Happens Next

Whether or not your candidates won or your ballot measures passed, take a moment to celebrate yourself. If you voted, that counted. If you helped others register or reminded them to vote, that counted. Even if you didn’t see the immediate results you wanted, your voice moved us closer to a better future. It’s because of citizens like you pushing year after year, little by little, that real, sustainable change happens. By voting or encouraging others to vote, you have already started to make that change a reality.

The Youth Wave doesn’t stop here. We keep growing and we keep going. Regardless of who was elected, your representatives are now charged with the responsibility of carrying out your priorities. They work for you.

November 6 was about turning out to the polls. Now it’s about sustaining this incredible momentum. It’s about holding our elected officials accountable for creating better schools and communities. It’s about speaking up and taking action for justice, equality, progress, and the issues that affect our world. DoSomething.org promises to give you ways to make that change online, in your community, and at all levels of government in 2019 and beyond. You can start right now.

Tell us the first issue you want your newly elected lawmakers to tackle and why that issue is important to you. We’re going to deliver the largest crowdsourced guide of what young people want to every new lawmaker as soon as they are sworn into office.

We are incredibly proud and inspired by what young people have done, and you should be too. Thanks to us, the future is bright. Thanks to us, this is just the beginning.