Executive Director Isaac James celebrates pilot programs reaching nearly 1.5 million young LGBTQ+ voters while sounding the alarm ahead of 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — OutVote, the nation’s only Gen Z-led organization dedicated to educating and mobilizing Gen Z LGBTQ+ voters, marks the success of its inaugural pilot programs with record-breaking youth turnout and the election of pro-LGBTQ candidates in Virginia and New Jersey.

In total, OutVote’s pilot programs in Virginia and New Jersey reached almost 1.5 million young LGBTQ+ voters and our organizers reported thousands of voter contacts on the ground.

According to Tufts University’s CIRCLE, youth turnout increased in both states where OutVote Fellows led peer-to-peer voter engagement efforts compared to the 2021 elections, up 7 points in New Jersey at 29% and 9 points in Virginia at 34%

“These results prove what’s possible when one of the nation’s fastest growing segments of eligible voters are met with the message, the tools, and the trusted networks needed to get out and vote,” said Isaac James, OutVote’s Executive Director. “When young LGBTQ+ people vote, we are one step closer to rebuilding our democracy and delivering a government that meets the needs of our generation.”

While Gen Z turnout increased in Virginia and New Jersey, James says there is more work to be done to increase Gen Z LGBTQ+ participation in the places where it will matter most in 2026.

Gen Z is on track to become the nation’s largest voting bloc, and with one-third of Gen Z voters identifying as LGBTQ+, this community has the power to make up the difference in some of the nation’s most competitive elections. “Gen Z LGBTQ+ voters don’t see themselves as the minority of a minority, we see ourselves as a growing majority with the potential to make a difference in elections that are increasingly won on the margins,” says James.

OutVote intends to optimize the strategies behind our pilot programs, tailor our tactics, and exercise our power in 2026.

“As anti-LGBTQ rhetoric grows louder, our generation is responding not with fear, but with action,” James added. “OutVote is showing what happens when young queer people organize their peers – they change elections, shift narratives, and redefine what civic engagement looks like.”

Across both states, OutVote Fellows organized peer-to-peer events, distributed voter registration links, and built trust through thousands of conversations online and on campus. Together, their efforts demonstrated the growing power of Gen Z LGBTQ+ voters to shape the future of democracy – proving that authentic, community-based organizing works.

In Lynchburg, VA, OutVote Fellow Emma O. registered her peers to vote and had over 100 conversations with voters in her community. By just a few hundred votes, for the first time in decades, a pro-LGBTQ gubernatorial candidate won in Lynchburg City – home of Liberty University.

In New Jersey, OutVote Fellow Isabella P. transformed a casual conversation into meaningful civic impact. By sharing her own early voting experience and OutVote’s digital resources, she inspired a community member she knew through NJ Lesbians to cast her first-ever early ballot.

In Richmond, VA, OutVote Fellows organized Civic Queer Assembly RVA, an event that brought together community members to explore the city’s queer history and its connection to local democracy. Through open discussion and civic education, participants deepened their understanding of who holds power, how decisions are made, and how they can collectively shape a more inclusive future.

OutVote’s work is supported by the Gill Foundation, Vote Save America, and the Human Rights Campaign, among others. The organization will continue scaling through 2026, with plans to expand into additional states.

To learn more or support OutVote’s mission, visit outvotehq.org or follow @outvotehq on social media.