There are 41 million Gen Z eligible voters, including 8 million who turned 18 since the 2022 primary elections equating to about a fifth of the electorate.

In California and across the country, those between the ages of 18 and 24 have historically voted at a far lower rate than every other age group.

However, President Joe Biden's stunning withdrawal from this year's race has sparked a new wave in young voter participation.

Kamala Harris' campaign is in fact relying on young voters to turn out at higher rates and boost Democrats in competitive house races, including in California.

Nationally, reasons for lower participation include having class on election day and some states not accepting student IDs as a form of identification for voter registration.

What's catalyzing the shift in young voter participation are the viral social content that young voters are creating.

Casting the vice president as relatable.

Dwayne de Chiara, a campaign strategist for Representative John Duarte of District CA-13, said he isn't concerned about the potential increase in young voters.

"My guess is that in working class district CA-13, younger voters are going to be even more inclined to vote Republican because working class people across the board are voting more Republican."

Celebrities with large followings among young voters like Megan Thee Stallion, Taylor Swift, and Quavo are stirring up excitement this presidential race on their respective platforms.

This very strong sense of excitement.

It certainly I think from my perspective is fueling a lot of the donations, fueling the volunteer base, fueling the grassroots efforts across the country, especially in swing states.

Andrea Haley, CEO of vote.org told CalMatters, "Young people are the largest voting block in America when they decide to show up, and they have an incredible amount of power and can really change power dynamics in the United States if they use their voice."

With CalMatters, I'm Jenna Peterson.