Getting Youth Engaged in Democracy: Five Takeaways From My Cover Article In Stanford Social Innovation Review, Winter 2026 Issue
Young people do turn out for elections—when they are registered. By getting all youth enrolled in high school, we can help achieve universal participation. Here’s how to get it done.
About a year ago, my friend John asked, if he could get a message to his state Governor about high school voter registration, what should he say? What power does a Governor have that can be put to use to help all young people register to vote as soon as they come of age, and what will be effective in getting the job done?
John has been a supporter and connector for The Civics Center, and I wanted to give him a thoughtful response. I started with a brief email, but it quickly took on a life of its own.
It wasn’t just Governors who had power but little awareness or guidance on important ways to solve the problem of low youth political participation. There was a void for state legislators, secretaries of state, state education officials, school board members, superintendents, principals, educators. In other words, there was no guidance for how government officials can act effectively and in concert, each in their own spheres, to create a healthy and welcoming democracy for young people as they come of age. Also missing has been the ways that the worlds of philanthropy and civil society can best catalyze change to address this unique challenge.
My simple email draft, turned into a cover story, now published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review. That’s the award-winning magazine and website that covers cross-sector solutions to global problems with pieces written by and for social change leaders from around the world. It’s an honor to appear in these pages, and I hope you’ll take the time to read the full piece here.
If that’s TL;DR, however, here are the 5 takeaways I don’t want you to miss.
1. Young people do turn out for elections–when they are registered.
According to Census Bureau statistics, in every presidential election going back to 2004, more than 75% of registered youth turned out. In the 2022 midterms, 70% or more of registered youth turned out in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. But under 30% of 18-year-olds are registered on average in midterms compared to 75% of voters 45+.
2. High school students are eligible to register before they graduate.
Nearly all teens are in high school when they reach the age at which they can register, and high school students have the interest and capacity to be agents of their own engagement. Preregistration is designed to give 15- to 17-year-olds time to engage ahead of their first vote at 18.
3. Current voter registration systems aren’t reaching the youngest voters. It’s not apathy:
Paper and ID requirements make online voter registration inaccessible for most 17-year-olds.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, 40% of 18-year-olds do not have a driver’s license. Less than half of 17-year-olds are licensed.
College voter registration programs do not reach the 40% of Americans who join the workforce after high school instead of going to college.
4. High school voter registration is systemic change.
Officials at virtually every level of government have a role to play. Meaningful steps include enacting legislation, providing funding for training and resources, ensuring enforcement and using the appointment power of executive office, and creating and implementing policy at the school district and school level.
When high school voter registration is working as it should, every high school across the country will hold non-partisan voter registration drives or otherwise integrate voter registration into the fabric of school life.
5. High school voter registration promotes education, democracy, and civic health.
The experience of encouraging and enabling their peers to register and vote sets up students with civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions. It enables them to be leaders in other capacities and to find confidence, set goals, follow through, and communicate respectfully across differences.
High school voter registration drives don’t just increase voter registration rates, but also develop youth leadership capacity and an appreciation for democratic ideals.
Our current systems for voter registration are failing the youngest voters. The critical missing link–and perhaps the only realistic method to achieve universal voter registration–is making voter registration part of every American’s high school experience.
High school voter registration has the capacity to achieve population-level impact for the country as a whole, and a larger, more representative electorate.
The problem of low rates of youth voter registration is solvable. The mechanisms exist. They all have precedents and firm grounding in our nation’s history and traditions. Whether our communities decide to take action and welcome all young voters into our democracy depends ultimately on us.