Six months out from the election, Wisconsin students weigh voting for Biden

It's a sunny morning at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire as around a dozen young organizers talk politics at the student union.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., is leading the discussion from the head of a conference room table laid out with Biden campaign information, buttons and posters that read "Students for Biden Harris."

"You all will really decide this election in this state," Khanna said. "So let me ask, what is your advice on what all of us should be talking about? Issues that you think appeal to young people here on this campus?"

It was the first in a series of five listening sessions Khanna held with students from different universities across Wisconsin, focused on reelecting President Biden.

The tour was coordinated by the Biden campaign and marked another concerted effort to appeal directly to young voters, a group they're heavily investing in nationwide. In Wisconsin, the campaign has been working with the state Democratic party to organize across college campuses and online.

But the president has continued to struggle with low approval among voters under 45, particularly Gen Z and younger millennials — the same age groups that decidedly voted for him four years ago. In Wisconsin, where Biden defeated former President Donald Trump by just under 21,000 votes last time, Democrats are banking on student support again.

According to discussions NPR was present in and additional conversations relayed by Khanna's staff, students at the five sessions stressed issues including protecting abortion access, their financial future and addressing climate change. But they also expressed concern about rallying their classmates to back Biden.

NPR went on to speak with nearly 30 students outside of the events, and many