Friends,
When we read the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, taking away federal constitutional protection for abortion rights and signaling that further erosion of fundamental rights may be on the horizon, we thought about the 1.5 million Americans who are turning 18 between now and Election Day in November.
What can we say about the rule of law, inequitable distributions of power, and the capacity young people have to imagine and lead toward a better future and a healthier democracy?
When the draft opinion leaked in May, thousands of young people told us they felt devastated and terrified. Many told us the message “just vote” can ring hollow.
What we hope young people hear is not “just vote,” but “please vote,” “organize and vote,” “tell your story and vote,” “learn and vote,” “take care of one another and vote,” and all the rest of what it means to be fully engaged. Read more in our blog post.
Whether young people turnout to vote in November is not a matter of prediction. It’s a matter of organizing and motivating. It’s a matter of relationships, hope, and commitment. It’s a matter of confidence and civics education. It’s a matter of asking.
In the 2018 midterms, 66% of registered youth turned out to vote. Low youth turnout is driven overwhelmingly by low youth voter registration. The numbers today are alarming. From Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, Madison to Milwaukee, Cleveland to Columbus, Tucson to Phoenix, fewer than 25% of 18-year-olds are registered to vote. If they are not registered, they can’t turn out. It’s as simple as that. If they do register, they have the power to make the difference in states across the country that will have important and close elections in November.
So, how do you fit in?
(1) Download and distribute Our Bodies Our Votes graphics
To assist those seeking to make the connection between reproductive justice and the November midterm election, we have created an Our Bodies Our Votes graphic that can be downloaded from our website and then printed at any office supplies store in the form of protest posters, lawn signs, or small-format cards to distribute at rallies or other places where young and other unregistered voters will be present. The QR code connects to our voter registration portal. Office Depot, Staples, and Kinkos all offer online systems that are easy to use. Your local print shop may also have options.
Because we expect gatherings and protests this summer on a wide variety of topics, we have also developed Say Gay Register to Vote to focus on responses to attacks on LGBTQ+ communities and Our Lives Our Votes to focus on gun violence. Look for additional assets soon.
(2) Distribute voter registration stickers
You can also order 50 Register to Vote stickers for $16, and hand these out yourself, give them to students to distribute, or distribute them to stores, schools, barbershops/hair salons, and libraries in your area. We can also send you a list of names of young voters and a letter to customize and send, and you can help to distribute them through that channel.
(3) High School Voter Registration Week is coming!
Mark your calendars for High School Voter Registration Week, September 19-23, 2022! High School Voter Registration Week is a national week of action to kick off voter registration and turnout efforts among high school students.
We will be running one-hour workshops all summer focused on how to host a voter registration drive. Please refer interested students and educators, and please look for additional information about how you can get involved in outreach starting in August. Encouraging motivated young people to take this leadership step is an important action you can take today to strengthen our democracy.
(4) Invite us and introduce us
Many of you are involved in formal and informal community organizations, school or workplace affinity groups, or giving circles that host speakers. We welcome the opportunity to speak to your network about the obstacles and opportunities for high school voter registration. We can focus on legal issues for lawyers wishing to host a CLE event for their firms. Email [email protected] for speaking events.
(5) Follow us, share our resources and research, and tag us.
We publish original research and provide resources on youth voter registration that can motivate action. We have an active presence on Instagram and BlueSky (@TheCivicsCenter). If you are not following us yet, please follow us and amplify our work by sharing, liking, retweeting, etc. Here is an example of how we are reaching young people through social media.
When you write about and comment on our work and amplify others who do so, the big-tech algorithms respond.
(6) Donate and encourage others to do so
We have a tiny staff, and a huge need. We have relied predominantly on individual donors, including many small dollar donations and gifts from DAFs and family foundations to fund our operations. We are looking to raise funds to hire regional directors, a data expert, a volunteer coordinator, and more. Funds pay for stipends for students, materials for their drives, including Democracy in a Box, tech support, and more. We would love introductions to program officers or board members at foundations that focus on youth and democracy, as personal references can make a significant difference.
(7) Want to do more?
If you’re interested in our work and want to volunteer to do more, please let us know. Right now, we are most in need of volunteers who can spend a minimum of 10 hours per week between now and Election Day and who have campaign or other experience coordinating the work of other volunteers.
We are especially interested in people who have experience working with high schools, youth, and working in a diverse array of communities. Especially helpful would be volunteers from the following states: AZ, FL, GA, MI, NC, NH, NV, OH, PA, WI. Within these states, we focus on the most populous counties and school districts.
If you are interested, please send your resume and a cover letter expressing your interest, experience, and availability to [email protected].
Thank you,
Laura