New research by The Civics Center supports investing in the untapped possibilities of high school voter registration.
Election Day is only five months away, and 1.5 million youth across the country are turning 18 before November 8, 2022. Virtually all of these young people are eligible to register to vote today, and then they can vote in the midterms in November.
In 2018, 66% of registered youth turned out to vote. At that rate, 1.5 million potential new voters would turn into 1 million additional youth votes in the midterms if they are able to register before November. Fewer than half of youth ages 18-24, however, were registered, resulting in an overall youth citizen turnout rate of just 32%.
In Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, the number of young people turning 18 between now and Election Day exceeds the margin of victory in the 2020 presidential election in those states.
In 35 states, young people have more than a year in which to register to vote before their first election. In the remaining states, the vast majority of young people who will be 18 by Election Day in November can register to vote now.
Whether young people register and vote in 2022 is not a matter of prediction. It’s a matter of organizing. The Civics Center offers free resources to encourage youth to register to vote. These include the Class of 2022 Ready to Vote Challenge and numerous volunteer opportunities, educational programs, research, and resources.
Number of Americans turning 18 in each state
These estimates are based on U.S. Census Bureau citizenship data for youth ages 15-19. We divide the number of youth in this five-year cohort in each state by the appropriate number to get each of the estimates reflected in the chart.