We Say, “Only Voters” Will Save Us. Then We Forget About Them.

My article published in The Contrarian.

As we close out 2025, it’s hard not to reflect on the severity of efforts to undermine democracy in the United States.

The shining light has been the work of regular people standing up and asserting their rights, and the importance of basic democratic values. I see this every day in our work at The Civics Center, among up-and-coming voters, aka, high school students. Four million will graduate this spring, newly eligible to use their voices at the ballot box.

This year, students working with our team held more than twice as many drives as they did in 2023 (the most comparable “off” year), and the pace is picking up.

There are still many challenges. One of them is the abandonment of voter registration and of youth civic engagement. We see this even among certain pro-democracy organizations or philanthropy, and it’s exactly the wrong move.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to explain this, and how and why we can do better, in a new piece published in The Contrarian.

I hope you’ll take a moment to read, share, and engage in the comments.

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When we talk about high school voter registration, this is what I mean: it’s connected, joyful, educational, efficient, and it reaches everyone. Let’s make it part of every American’s experience as they reach adulthood.