WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Young voters could be decisive in the upcoming election and both presidential candidates are making a play to boost their youth support. 

Elaine Kamarck is a senior fellow at Brookings who researches American politics. She says young people could be a critical voting group in the upcoming election. 

“Younger voters could tip the election, almost certainly in the Democratic direction,” Kamarck said. 

Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump are each making appeals to young people as they try to make gains among key groups. 

“Both campaigns right now are trying very hard to see if they can speak to younger voters and get an edge among them,” Kamarck said. 

Republican spokesperson Elizabeth Pipko says the Trump campaign is using social media to reach out to youth. 

“Making sure the content is pushed where the young people folks actually are, and that happens to be social media. TikTok obviously is a big one,” Pipko said. 

Kevin Munoz, with the Harris campaign, says they’re also investing in online strategies and trying to be innovative with their outreach. 

“It’s on snapchat. We are the first campaign to ever advertise on DraftKings, we’re going up on podcasts, we’re making sure we’re on college campuses,” Munoz said. 

He says they’re focusing on telling young people how VP Harris is planning for their future. 

“She is going to protect their reproductive rights, she is going to make our communities safer from gun violence. And she is going to lower costs and create opportunity for the future,” Munoz said. 

While the Trump campaign is emphasizing an economic challenge and making the case that the current administration has failed in that area. 

“Buying a house is more difficult, renting an apartment is more difficult. Obviously affording college, groceries, rent, so many different things that young people focus on,” Pipko said. 

Young voters tend to lean heavily Democratic and Kamarck says that trend will likely continue. 

“A lot of young women are registering, for obvious reasons: I mean, a woman candidate, the abortion issue,” Kamarck said. 

Munoz says Team Harris isn’t taking the youth support for granted. 

“Putting in the work every single place where we can grab voters,” Munoz said. 

The Trump camp isn’t letting the Democratic advantage among young voters dissuade them. 

It’s about making some kind of a dent to change the dynamic, because the Democrats know they need a large percentage of those voters in order to win and it seems like that’s slipping away from them right now,” Pipko said.