But the apathetic can outnumber the engaged. Like Nevada, Arizona has a significant weight of young people. Almost a quarter of the population is between the ages of 20 and 34; an even greater share are under 19, representing the next generation of potential voters. A June report by professors at Arizona State University, found that voters between the ages of 20 and 30 make up 19 percent of Arizona’s voting-age population and 18 percent of all registered voters in the state; however, they accounted for only 10 percent of the vote in 2022. Forty-nine percent of those voters are unaffiliated.

Chuck Coughlin, a Democratic strategist in Arizona, said young voters should make up less than 12 percent of the electorate. If Harris can expand on those margins, she wins in the best of circumstances, he predicted; but that requires a certain level of enthusiasm. “I think — as much as a 62-year-old white man can talk about these things — (young voters) tend to give up. They say, ‘I don’t want to deal with this shit anymore’ … without recognizing the crucial role they can play in the election,” he said.

It’s a familiar pattern for Ashton, a 17-year-old high school student from Phoenix who is part of Greenfield’s canvassing team, who was frustrated that he was a little too young to vote this election. His classmates who are of age, he said, are generally less excited about casting their ballots. “I think there’s a difference between ‘excited to vote’ and ‘going to vote,'” he said. Still, while Harris may not be the “dream candidate” for young voters, Ashton argued, “we understand that minimal change is still change.”