State laws can make it easier or harder for young people to get registered and vote. Young people came out ahead in all three ballot measures that were up for a vote last week.
In the days since the midterm elections, my inbox has been flooded with questions and encouragement about the young people who turned out in record numbers. I was waiting for someone to ask:
Q: Were there any ballot measures to make it easier or harder for young people to vote, and what were the results?
Curiously they didn’t! Here’s my answer anyway:
A: Yes there were, and the results were positive!
In Massachusetts, the youngest potential voters will have better access in 2028 than they did in 2026, and in California and Colorado, voters defeated measures that would have made it harder for young people to vote. Plus, there is an off-the-radar bonus in Michigan that wasn’t on the ballot but is worth a mention anyway.
Here’s the rundown:
Same-Day Voter Registration Passed in Massachusetts
Same-day registration is one of the most important voting policies to encourage youth political participation. This is especially true for the youngest voters, who are unregistered to vote at high rates and who often are moving residences in the months immediately preceding an election.
We looked at the data for other states with same-day registration, and in 2024 Election Day was by far the biggest day for 18-year-olds to get into the voter file.
Same-day registration may not seem like a big deal in the abstract, but for the youngest voters, it is. It’s important to remember that people who aren’t registered do not get election mail. Candidates, campaigns, and pollsters routinely ignore them. Especially for state and local elections and primaries, unregistered voters may not even learn about an election until after the deadline to register has passed.
In Massachusetts, more than 100,000 young people turn 18 every year. But heading into Election Day 2026, only 57% were registered to vote, compared to 71% for ages 45 and above. In Suffolk County, where Boston is located, only 25% of 18-year-olds were registered. Unregistered but otherwise eligible voters had no recourse if they missed the registration deadline 10 days in advance of Election Day.
Question 4, which passed 56% to 44%, will change that, making Massachusetts the 28th state to enact some form of same-day voter registration. The law becomes effective January 1, 2028, so it will be in place in time for primary elections in 2028.
Voters Defeated Voter ID Ballot Measures in California & Colorado
Voter ID laws hurt young voters. According to a 2023 report from the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland and VoteRiders, in the 2020 election, more than 11 million people ages 18-29 did not have a current driver’s license, and more than 3 million did not have any unexpired government issued photo ID. Among young voters, the impacts fell most heavily on the youngest voters, those 18 and 19, and voters of color.
Driver’s license rates for young people are continuing to fall. As of 2024, based on data released by the Federal Highway Administration and the American Community Survey, fewer than 60% of 18-year-olds nationally have driver’s licenses.
In California, Proposition 39 would have required a government-issued ID in order to vote, either by mail or in person. Presumably a UC, Cal State, or community college ID would be acceptable, but not Stanford, USC, Pomona, Loyola, and other private institutions. This is not to mention the millions of other otherwise-eligible voters, who would have faced burdensome new requirements.
If Election Day had been football, we now see that the Trojans came out the winners, as voters handily defeated the measure. While ballots are still being counted in the state, as of this writing, the measure is going down 60%-40%.
In Colorado, voters rejected a similar measure, Amendment 84, by an even stronger majority, 63%-37%.
All of this is good news for the voting rights and the voting reality for the youngest voters.
Bonus from Michigan
Registration rates can be shaped as much by administrative systems as they are by state law. Take, for example, online voter registration. Most states with online voter registration systems require users to have a driver’s license or state ID in order to complete their registration online. The requirements were generally implemented as a shortcut for election officials to access a new voter’s signature so their identity could be verified when they vote or sign election-related petitions.
But a growing number of states, Michigan included, have realized that technology can do better and people who do not drive should have just as much access to voter registration services as those who do.
In Michigan, 130,000 young people turn 18 every year, but only 86,000 are licensed to drive, meaning that ⅓ are not. Now, everyone eligible can register by uploading a signature and swearing to the facts of their eligibility under penalty of perjury. A driver’s license or state ID is no longer required. Let’s see Michigan’s stellar registration rate for 18-year-olds (84% as of September 2026) go even higher.
How you can help:
Low youth turnout is not a matter of young people being indifferent. It’s a systems issue. When you see the variations among and within states, it’s obvious. With Election Day behind us, there will be many opportunities to weigh in on state law changes that can improve access for the youngest voters. We’ll be providing updates in the months ahead.
In the meantime, you can make a difference when you sign our online email campaign urging your reps to support the Youth Voter Rights Act. You can also encourage teens to get involved: there is still time to participate in High School Voter Registration Weeks this fall, or they can get ready for Cap, Gown & Ballot in the spring, ensuring 4 million graduating Seniors are ready to use their voices before stepping into their futures. Either way, you can make a difference when you give a little encouragement and let them know.