New Online Tools Create On-Ramp to US Democracy for Youngest Voters
Not sure where to start? Click your state to find rules, tools, and motivation.
To address the voter registration obstacles facing up-and-coming voters – the 4 million American high school students who come of age every year – The Civics Center has created state-specific online educational resources aimed at answering students’ most frequently asked questions and increasing youth participation in our democracy.
the applicable pre-18 registration rule;
upcoming elections and registration deadlines;
ID requirements; the number of people turning 18 every year in the state or the number who remain unregistered;
instructions for pre-registering online and by mail;
laws requiring high schools to help with voter registration (many of which are unknown or ignored);
access to toolkits and training opportunities;
the ability to download paper forms (for the majority of high school students who are old enough to register but who cannot do so online because of limitations in their state’s system);
and calls to action (register to vote, learn how to run a drive, share this information etc).
“Our goal is to help high school communities everywhere assist all eligible students in registering to vote and taking their rightful place as full participants in democracy. Too often voter registration systems are developed without student needs in mind, and too often, students have lacked appropriate support in navigating them. Our state pages fill that gap,” said Laura W. Brill, CEO and founder of The Civics Center.
“People still have no idea that most young Americans can pre-register to vote at age 15, 16 or 17; high school is the ideal setting to welcome them into democracy and help lead the process, lowering the barriers that have historically left them disenfranchised. We hope students, educators, parents, and others interested in supporting US democracy will use and share these resources. Check out your state and see how you can help set up student-led, teacher-supported voter registration drives in your high school.”
When young voters are registered, they turn out at high rates: over 75 percent of registered 18- to 24-year-olds have turned out in every presidential election since 2004. And voting while young predicts lifelong civic participation. Yet fewer than half of this age group are typically registered in a presidential election year (even lower in midterms at under 30%), meaning millions are often ignored by candidates and campaigns.
“There’s an extraordinary opportunity this year to harness enthusiasm related to high school voter registration and share tools to help the Class of 2026 become the voters of 2026 – and of every election to come,” Brill said. “At a time when distrust and misinformation are both running high, sharing this information will help put young democracy leaders in the driver’s seat, organizing for full participation and free and fair elections.”
The non-partisan Civics Center works with high school communities and grassroots partners to build and sustain a durable culture of high school voter registration that empowers student leaders, embraces future voters, and nurtures lifelong civic participation. We provide free training and resources; build awareness through data analysis and accurate, compelling messaging; and support national, state, and local partners to advance the civic engagement of teens they serve. The Civics Center is a project of Community Partners, a 501(c)(3) organization.
To learn more about the enormous untapped possibilities for high school voter registration to strengthen democracy, please see Laura W. Brill, Getting Youth Engaged in Democracy, Stanford Social Innovation Review.