this is "nightline." >> tonight, rocking the youth vote. we're on the ground in three swing states following the next generation, first-time voters to young organizers. letting their voices be heard. >> i just put my first presidential ballot in. look at me. i'm doing my civic duty. >> what's energizing them to show up at the polls? and will 2020 be the year of the young voter? plus the final sprint to election day. donald trump and joe biden courting crucial votes. and how the democrats may take back the senate. our political experts break it all down. the most dangerous thing about rheumatoid arthritis is often unseen.

because the pain you're feeling could be a sign of irreversible joint damage. every day you live with pain, swelling, and stiffness... you risk not being able to do the things you love. especially in these times, it's important to keep up with your rheumatologist. schedule an appointment today. itit's following your passion withto bto the very top... ...and setting the standard by which all who follow, will be measured. tequila herradura, the world's most gold medal awarded tequila. a fan-favorite venue ever since they got gig-speed internet. xfinity gives them the ultimate home field advantage. it's their 12th man. protector... hey, amy? want to grab a seat? julie, we're live. it's game on with gig-speed internet from xfinity. start him, sit him, trade him. simple, easy, awesome.

get started with xfinity internet for $19.99 a month for 12 months. plus, learn about gig-speeds from xfinity. click, call, or visit a store today. it's following your passion to bto the very top... ...and setting the standard by which all who follow, will be measured. tequila herradura, the world's most gold medal awarded tequila. ♪ good evening. thank you for joining us. tonight, coming out in droves to polling sites. young americans casting their ballots in this year's presidential election. early voting numbers suggesting they are a force to be reckoned with. why are so many of them making a move this time around? here's "nightline's" ashan singh. ♪

>> i'm going to vote, i'm so excited, whoo-hoo! >> reporter: it's 50 degrees right outside of philly, and it is nasty out. but a little bit of bad weather wasn't going to stop cameron davis and her grandmother from celebrating the 20-year-old's birthday. >> so what are we doing to celebrate? >> i'm going to vote. >> how do you feel? you feel excited? >> i'm ready to get it. i'm excited. >> reporter: spending your birthday at a polling location may not seem like the coolest way to celebrate. but for millions of young people this year, voting is actually the hip thing to do. >> look at me. i'm doing my civic duty. >> reporter: this election, something's in the air. from celebrities like snoop dogg -- >> your voter registration is now cleat. >> reporter: to tyler the creator admitting that this will be their first time voting. >> a lot of y'all are going to be like, ahh, my vote doesn't matter, they're going to pick who they want.

>> reporter: not to mention aoc gaming to get out the vote to the tune of nearly 500,000 viewers. >> you can call me aoc, mike pence can call me aoc. >> reporter: organizations both grass roots and national driving young people to the polls both literally and figuratively. hosting covid-safe block parties and engaging in social media, public art, even streetwear. with more than 6 million young people already voting in this year's election, is this the year the youth vote finally shows up? >> just voted. >> reporter: either way, it's clear that now more than ever, it's not cool to not care anymore. >> how important do you think the youth vote is in this year's election? >> because the youth vote is usually so low, a lot of enthusiasm from young voters can make a really big difference. and i think the difference could be especially big in a couple of key swing states. >> reporter: "nightline" traveled to three battleground

states to look at how and why young people across the country are hoping to move the needle on november 3rd. >> we did it! >> i know! >> reporter: back in pennsylvania, cameron and her grandmother are teaching me a vote dance she made up to celebrate her ballot. for almost 20 years, cameron's home state has gone to the democrats. until trump flipped the state red in 2016. while fivethirtyeight's election forecast has joe biden favored at the moment, voters like cameron, who have been concerned with the president's handling of the pandemic and racial justice, aren't taking their vote for granted. >> you think there's a lot at stake? >> there is a lot. i don't believe that we will progress as a country, as a nation, if we continue to go in the direction that we're going. and with the president that we're going with. >> reporter: for cameron, the power of social media has made the act of voting that much more

exciting. ♪ vote >> it's limited to do things in person right now. i wanted to get people's attention about voting, but make it fun. as long as it catches their attention, they're going to listen to the message that's behind it. >> one, two, three! >> reporter: the influence of tiktok and instagram on this year's election is something that organizations small and large are banking on to drive up registration numbers. early voting's open in atlanta. at the urban league's pull up to the polls event, it's part policy and part, well, party. 24-year-old community organizer julius thomas is just one of the many who help put this together. >> this is the election of a lifetime. this is so important to get young people excited and energized to vote and find new and creative ways. keep people engaged. >> reporter: his home state of georgia is changing largely due to shifting demographics of atlanta and its surrounding area. the state has been solidly republican for almost 25 years. but hillary clinton's

performance in 2016 surprised everyone. now fivethirtyeight's got the peach state as a true toss-up. >> i think it's important to say for our forecast that it's not a crystal ball, but yeah, georgia's very close right now. >> after the passing of john lewis and c.t. vivian, this city does not want their work to go in vain. we want to show them we're ready to torch and we're doing it in a cool, fun, exciting, hip way that only atlanta can do. >> reporter: focused on getting first-time voters registered and to the polls. at 25, he's voting in his first presidential election. >> i was too young when obama was in there the last time, then the next time, i was kind of discouraged. so i didn't vote. so this is my first time to vote. >> what's going through your mind as you're about to vote for the first time? >> i'm excited. >> reporter: in any given lex, 35% to 60% of eligible voters don't vote. young people are a big part of the problem. fivethirtyeight's amelia

thompson-devoe has been studying what keeps people from the polls. >> a lot of people we talked to may have been eligible in 2016, but for whatever reason, just decided not to vote. now they're not only registering early, they're voting early. why do you think that is? >> sometimes it's a sense that politics just isn't worth it, that they don't think it matters, they didn't like the candidates. sometimes it's kind of a mix of the two. so i think what we're seeing this year is that people really think it's important to vote. >> reporter: for marcus, it took the outcome of the 2016 race for him to wake up. >> after 2016, did you feel guilty for not having voted at all? >> definitely. because it's people that can't vote, people that aren't old enough, they can't vote, and i can vote and i'm not voting. >> what does it mean to you to see your communities get activated? both being a person of color and being a young person? >> it means a lot.

because it's setting a good example for the younger generation. so we don't get discouraged again to not vote and feel our vote doesn't count. >> we did it. >> it went well. quick, easy. >> how do you feel? >> i feel good. >> feels good? you got the sticker. >> reporter: 300 miles away, the race in the tar heel state is heating up. >> we're driving through north carolina right now. political scientists are calling this the swingiest of swing states. on top of the presidential election, a republican senator and democratic governor both fighting for re-election. this is the definition of a purple state in 2020. 24-year-old republican and aspiring politician katherine whitebird is working hard to people the president and her party in office. >> i hope you consider voting for representative john hardester. >> we've done 500,000 contacts to try to make sure not only do

we win the presidency but down ballot, because down ballot is also important. >> reporter: she's canvassing for her friend, state rep john hardester, outside the polls. >> what's your plan? >> talking to the voters, trying to convince them to vote for him and the republican ticket. >> reporter: cautious optimism is the name of the game for republicans in north carolina. trump took the state in 2016. but this time, fivethirtyeight has biden ahead, but just barely. >> i think in north carolina and in states across the country, we're seeing people really concerned about the pandemic and about the economy, just the state of the world right now. and trump has not gotten good marks on his handling of the pandemic in particular. it's a real weak spot for him. >> how do you think president trump has handled the pandemic? >> i think that under the circumstances, they tried to handle it as best they could. we see that biden is trying to propose a lot of what trump has already been doing. >> you're first generation

chinese-american. does it bother you, some of the rhetoric that's come across about the virus from the republican party and president trump? kung flu, china virus? there have been increasing attacks on people of asian descent since coronavirus has impacted this country. does that bother you at all? >> i can't really speak to chinese people being targeted per se, just because i haven't personally seen that. but as far as calling it the china virus, i mean, from all that we know currently, it probably did come from china. and they didn't handle it well. and they were probably trying to suppress a lot of information. i think that it's fair to call it the china virus. i don't personally feel insulted by it. >> how about kung through? >> that i'm not as comfortable with. but, i mean, the china virus is a fair statement. >> reporter: a week before election day and catherine couldn't be busier. but she was kind enough to take a break from her day to try a

greensboro institution, yum yum's. >> talk to me about this place. there's a lot going on leading up to november 3rd. >> it is a swingy swing state. i think a lot of people have said north carolina is a red state. i don't think that's true. especially we've seen in 2018, that wasn't true. but i think there's still the opportunity for republicans to win in north carolina. >> do you worry the state could flip this year? >> i'm definitely worried about it. but i'm trying to do everything that i can to make sure that doesn't happen. >> this is absolutely delicious. >> this is why i got the cup. >> i knew what i was doing. i'm not making a mess eating ice cream. >> reporter: it's no secret the candidates are noticing the energy coming from young people this year. >> here's how you can spot a zombie. >> reporter: both trump -- >> he absolutely has an issue with the truth. >> reporter: and biden appealing to the youth vote with goofy ads and memes across social media and youtube. no matter what side of the aisle you sit on, or if you don't sit

on one at all. whetr you've done it before or if it's your first time. this november 3rd, the choice is ours. >> what issues are most important to you in this year's election? >> i want to see how our preside president's handled the race relations in this country and the seriousness of this pandemic. >> it's not a matter of do you want biden or trump? it's a matter of, do you want socialism or do you want a free society? i feel like there's a lot of people who feel like me. >> do you think now, in 2020, in the middle of a racial reckoning in this country, in the middle of a pandemic in this country, that it's cool to actually vote? >> yes. i believe it's actually been cool to vote. >> do you think your vote matters? >> yes. >> why? >> my vote matters. it has the power to sway elections. it also has the power to influence a bunch of other people to make their voices heard. i can post about it, i can dance while i'm doing it, i can tell the world that i'm doing it. look at me, i'm voting.

>> our thanks to ashan. want to brain better? unlike ordinary memory supplements- neuriva has clinically proven ingredients that fuel 5 indicators of brain performance. memory, focus, accuracy, learning, and concentration. try our new gummies for 30 days and see the difference. introducing new best foods drizzle sauce crave-worthy flavors you can drizzle, dip and dress to make home the best restaurant around new drizzle sauces from best foods we're on the side of food.

♪ we're five days away from election day. so how are donald trump and joe biden faring in the home stretch? a carcinogen pe yak university poll just out today showing biden leading in three battleground states, florida, pennsylvania, ohio. president trump is up 1 point in iowa. to further down the state of the race, earlier i spoke with abc news contributor tara setmyer and sara fagen, ceo of deep root

analytics. thanks for joining us. first question, sara, we've seen consistent polling across the battleground states for several weeks showing president trump behind. is time running out for him to move the needle in his favor? >> it is starting to run out. there aren't enough days yet to really close the gap. i think the big x-factor, though, is what is turnout going to be? if you look at the polling, certainly it does not look promising for the president. but that assumes that every one of those polls has a turnout projection that fits the poll. it is possible that you could see an incredible number of people show up on election day. it's possible for the president to win the tied states and perhaps pick up pennsylvania or michigan. i don't know that that scenario is likely, but i do think it's possible. >> tara, with the surge of voters mailing in ballots this year, many crucial swing states

won't have an official tally until days after the election. do you think we'll have a winner on tuesday? >> i think that depends on which states we find out about. if we see that there's a biden win in florida or georgia or that it's even close in texas, i think that we'll have a sense of the momentum of this race. a state like pennsylvania, a little bit more challenging, since they cannot begin counting the vote until the day of election day or after. and it may take a little while. so folks neat to be patient, but we'll get a sense of where things are depending on who wins what states early. >> sara, trump is trailing biden in several battleground states where covid is rising, like wisconsin, a 16% increase in hospitalizations in the past week. how big an issue will covid be on tuesday? >> i think there's sort of two factors here. and the impact is both among seniors, which are significant populations in states like wisconsin and iowa, which also

has an unfortunately high case load right now. so that's been persistent. i think that's why you've seen a state like iowa be tied for most of this fall, or maybe at best the president's up a couple of points. then, of course, the rise in covid cases in the last week i think have really kept those states tight or him behind, in the case of wisconsin. >> tara, with the covid factor, with big crowd gatherings to see president trump, many folks maskless, is this strategy working where he needs it most? >> i think that the president's irresponsibility and cavalier attitude toward covid will be the ultimate demise of his re-election. covid is raging across the country. 41 states have an increase in covid cases. wisconsin is setting up field hospitals. their hospitals are overrun. el paso is overrun in texas. so it is clear that the president, no matter how much he wishes it away, cannot get away from the impact of covid because it impacts americans' everyday

lives, between the economy and losing their loved ones. they live it and it's real for them. >> let's talk about the senate races that are up for grabs next week. lindsey graham, susan collins, some of the biggest names in the republican party are in jeopardy of losing. do you think the senate will flip on tuesday? >> i think there's a real possibility the democrats take back the senate. lindsey graham has been begging for money, he's been outspent 2-1. susan collins has been fighting for her political life as well. her unwillingness to involve herself or take a solid position during this administration or on trump is hurting her in maine. but the momentum is certainly on the side of the democrats, and it's more of an uphill battle nor the republicans at this point. >> sara, same question. herein say graham is royalty in south carolina. is his seat really in jeopardy? >> as tara pointed out, he's being outspent, which is stunning. but i think at the end of the day, lindsey graham's going to get re-elected. i do think his handling of the

amy coney barrett supreme court hearings i think helped him in south carolina. and so i think he'll be okay. but i believe the senate is likely to go the way of the presidency. >> final question to you both. almost 7 million young folks have early voted already. which candidate is more likely to benefit from the youth vote? >> well, i think over the course of the last 20-some years, young people have tended democratic by higher numbers. so that will benefit biden. i think that is a long-term problem that the republican party has to address. >> tara, the last word. >> sara's absolutely right. traditionally, 18 to 29-year-olds have a lower propensity to vote, but this time around we're looking at a lot of first-time voters, voters who have grown up in the era of parkland and school shootings, and they are motivated, and they're out there voting in exponentially larger numbers than they have in the past, particularly in places like florida, michigan, and texas.

so it's definitely advantage biden. >> ladies, thank you both so much. rest up. it's going to be a long few days. >> all right, thank you. >> ♪ sofi made it so easy to pay off my student loan debt. they were able to give me a personal loan so i could pay off all of my credit cards. i got my mortgage through sofi and the whole process was so easy. choosing sofi was literally one of the best decisions i could have ever made because it gave me peace of mind. but what about afoods creamy chicken sautee? i could have ever made salad, sure, but what about a pasta bake? whatever's left in your fridge you can do more with best foods than you think. see the possibilities at bestfoods.com

we need to increase federal support for testing, doubling the number of drive-thru testing sites. it's a simple measure. everyone needs to wear a mask in public. we need real plans, real guidelines with uniform, nationwide standards. it's a simple proposition folks. we're all in this together. we've gotta fight this together. we'll emerge from this stronger because we did it together. i'm joe biden, and i approve this message. struggling to clean toughm mr. clean. because we did it together. bathroom messes with sprays? then you gotta try mr. clean magic erasers. just wet.. squeeze.. and erase tough messes around your bathtub and shower. mr. clean magic erasers. there's no clean like mr. clean your happy place. find your breaking point. then break it. every emergen-c gives you a potent blend of nutrients so you can emerge your best with emergen-c. now roomba vacuums exactly where you need it.

hey google, tell roomba to vacuum the kitchen counter. and offers personalized cleaning suggestions for a clean unique to you and your home. roomba and the irobot home app. only from irobot.

♪ a reminder, abc news will be on the air on election night next week. live coverage with our powerhouse political team starting at 7:00 eastern, 6:00 central, 4:00 p.m. out west tuesday. that's "nightline" for this evening. see you right back here tomorrow, same time. thanks for the company, america. good night.