NBC News correspondent Jacob Soboroff struggled to find young voters at a large California college campus in a new report airing Tuesday.
Soboroff hit the road for Orange County, a traditionally conservative stronghold in the blue state, and went to the University of California-Irvine campus. He noted the large student body could potentially have the political sway to flip a Republican House district in the county to the Democrats, but the students at a bus stop he visited didn't appear interested.
"Sorry, not to be annoying, but we're with NBC News ... Is anyone here going to vote in the election on November 6?" Soboroff asked. "Anybody? Anybody? Nobody's going to vote?"
One person shook his head while most others looked on blankly until someone finally answered in the affirmative. Two students spoke with him and said they mainly cared about school and how expensive it is, although one added he didn't follow the news.
Another 18-year-old student Soboroff spoke with said he wasn't registered to vote.
"You could decide whether or not the House of Representatives is in Democratic or Republican control. Do you think about all of that?" Soboroff asked.
"Um, not currently. Maybe if I took more time to get informed about what's going on in politics," he said.
Another student said she "should" vote because she knew the younger demographic was the most unreliable voting group.
"That's what the Democrats want, but they can't count on you guys necessarily," Soboroff said.
"No," she said.
Soboroff told "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough that both parties were "failing miserably" to get younger voters signed up in California, which has automatic voter registration.
Scarborough, an ex-Republican congressman, said he only advertised on talk radio rather than stations listened to by young voters in his Florida district.
"You don't vote," Scarborough said he told young voters.
Soboroff said young voters like the ones on UC-Irvine feel they don't have any incentive to vote based on their distrust in Washington and institutions in general.