The 2026 Voter Insight Panel is a group of Central Floridians who agreed to meet with Central Florida Public Media throughout this election year to discuss the issues shaping their lives and their votes. They represent different political affiliations, generations, and communities in urban and rural areas. It’s part of an ongoing series. They met one final time before Tuesday November 3, Election Day, to get a better understanding of how their priorities and perspectives have evolved, or not, in this midterm election year.
Young voters
Jaydon Souza, 21, of St. Cloud is a registered Democrat whose views are changing. As the youngest representative of the group, he questions whether either major political party is connecting with young voters.
“I don't think I've noticed anything that really speaks out to the younger generation,” he said.
He also points to frustration as a reason some young people may not get involved in politics.
Alison Yurko, a 63-year old attorney and self-described rule of law Republican, finds Souza’s perspective fascinating.
“Because that's the generation that's going to be most impacted by what's happening now, and we have these octogenarian men running the country,” she said.
Anna Ashie is 40 years old and an Orlando Democrat whose political views shifted from a conservative upbringing. Here’s what she sees among the young people in her life. She sees a mix of both disenfranchisement and growing engagement among the younger generation.
“There's a lot of younger politicians that I feel like there's some energy amongst the younger voters around them that I'm seeing that give me hope, but I do know that there is also a disillusioned group of youth,” she said.
She sees climate change as a motivating issue for them.
Affordability and the American Dream
Souza’s experience isn’t only about age, it’s also about whether people feel they can afford the lives they might have expected to have by now. In some ways, it’s about the idea of the American Dream.
“My parents at my age already had me and were already getting ready to have another, and they had a house, they had a car, they had their life pretty much settled. I'm 21 and still living with my parents, and it's difficult for me to break out of that bubble,” he said.
Souza is a mechanic and small business owner who is seeing customers change their spending habits.
“With the rising cost of gas, I have seen less and less repairs and preventive maintenance being done,” he said. “They're pushing their dollar.”
For the other panelists, financial pressure looks different depending on their stage of life.
“I'm in that lucky generation where we're riding the wave of the stock market and the real estate appreciation,” said Yurko. “I'm not feeling it as much, but I think that's just because of the fact that I'm older.”
Ashie says the cost of essentials affects her household, especially with three boys at home.
“The cost of food with having three boys has been sticker shock. As is my utility bill,” she said.
They want more than a campaign promise to make life more affordable
As everyday costs add up, voters evaluate politicians who promise to make life more affordable and whether they can actually deliver on those claims. Each panelist expressed some skepticism toward those blanket promises.
Yurko questioned whether ads are just good presentation skills rather than meaningful commitments.
Souza agreed, saying it’s not enough to simply promise to lower costs.
Ashie said a candidate’s record and their policies matter more than the campaign ad.
Despite their different perspectives, each panelist described voting as an important civic responsibility.
“I think it's a responsibility that I take very seriously. I think it's a right, but I also acknowledge it's a privilege. We're only a couple generations away from women being able to vote, and as a woman, I do not take that lightly,” said Ashie.
