Nearly half of Generation Z voters report lying about how they have voted in the past, according to a new Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll.
Approximately 48 percent of Gen Z voters, ages 18-27, said they have previously “lied to” people they are close to about which candidate they cast their ballot for, compared to 23 percent of all registered voters who reported doing the same.
In comparison, 38 percent of millennials, 17 percent of Gen Xers, and six percent of Boomers and older say they have lied to someone close to them about their votes.
Axios noted that Gen Z has come of age during a “hyper-polarized” political era and “appear to be among the most sensitive to perceived pressure and judgment from friends and loved ones.”
“There’s a new privacy emerging here, where it’s far more convenient to either lie or not talk about it,” said John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll. “The new social etiquette is to be like Switzerland: Why do you want that heat?”
The survey found the 22 percent percent of registered voters say they might “lie about” who they vote for in the 2024 election to someone they have a close relationship with. Seventy-eight percent say they will not lie about who they cast their ballot for.
Thirty-three percent of respondents say they are not close to some family members because of differing political beliefs, Axios reported. That percentage jumps significantly among younger generations, 44 percent for Gen Z and 47 percent for millennials, ages 28 to 43.
The survey did not ask participants exactly how, why, or to whom they lied about their voting history. However, the survey found that voters across the political spectrum have done so, including 27 percent of Democrats, 24 percent of Republicans, and 20 percent independents.
Overall, 58 percent of voters say who they vote for is a “private matter,” according to Axios.
The survey was conducted 1,858 registered voters between Oct. 22-24, 2024. The margin of error is ±2.6 percentage points.