It’s going to be a long summer: Great books for high school activists
For everyone who wants to make a difference and who wants to learn more, we’re suggesting a handful of books we love. Stay tuned for a future post on podcasts and documentaries we love. With each suggestion, we’ve tried to find a voice that is unique and authentic and that feels like a new friend. This is not homework.
Increasing Youth Voter Turnout in Pima County, Arizona Means First Increasing Youth Voter Registration
Recent reports have called attention to low youth voter turnout in the 2020 presidential primaries. If this trend continues in the general election in November, look to low youth voter registration rates as a driving factor. In Arizona, for example, 17-year-olds can register to vote if they will be 18 by the date of the general election. This creates a great opportunity for high school students to register to vote before they graduate, but the law is underused.
Let’s get high schoolers voting (New York Daily News)
Read Director Laura W. Brill’s response to the New York Daily News’s March 3 op-ed “A Wish for Super Tuesday” regarding youth voter registration and turnout.
California's latest preregistration numbers: On the rise, but still very low.
California’s voter preregistration numbers are out. They are on the rise, but we still have a long way to go. Read our commentary in Cal Matters, and check out our county-by-county breakdown, below.
Arizona’s Low Voter Pre-Registration Numbers
According to The Civics Center’s analysis, only approximately 2,527 of 17-year-olds in Arizona have taken advantage of the early registration law as of mid-2019. That represents just about 2.69% of the 17-year-olds in the state.
Don’t Blame Gen-Z. It’s the Registration Gap.
A false narrative circulating for years proclaims that young people don’t vote. As a result, campaigns limit their outreach to young voters, young voters feel less connected to the national debate, and government is less responsive to issues that disproportionately affect young voters. Even organizations focused on increasing voter participation mobilize fewer resources to get out the vote campaigns targeting young voters.
Pop Quiz Number 2: High School Voter Registration 101
I know most high schools don’t teach how and when to register to vote. That is no excuse. You still have to take the quiz. When you’re done, calculate your score using the answers below. If you didn’t get 100%, don’t blame yourself. Like I said, most schools don’t teach this stuff.
This is not a mock election
Today, as we recognize the great civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., our general election on November 3, 2020 is less than 300 days away. A friend asked recently whether young people will turn out to vote. My answer has become routine: the most common reason young people give for not voting is that they are not registered.
35% of Maryland Teens are Pre-registered to Vote
As of 2018, Maryland became the 18th state to adopt Election Day Registration, allowing eligible citizens to register to vote and cast their ballots at the same time during the early voting period through election day. Despite the state’s efforts to engage its citizens in the electoral process, more than half of the counties in Maryland have a pre-registration rate lower than 40%.
In D.C., the Doors are Open
According to The Civics Center’s new analysis, as of August 2019, only 19% of 16- and 17-year-olds in D.C. are pre-registered to vote. Despite D.C.’s success in passing reforms aimed at removing obstacles to voter participation, there is still room for improvement, especially in fully engaging youth in the electoral process. An estimated 4% of D.C.’s 16 year-olds are pre-registered to vote, while there is a significant increase of pre-registered 17 year-olds at 35%.
Less than 1% of Maine 17-year-olds are Pre-registered to Vote
Youth ages 18-29 make up only 15% of the Maine population. In the 2018 election, voter turnout amongst 18-29 year-olds in the state was 36.4%, slightly above the 31% national average. Despite the expansion in legislation and youth turnout, every county in Maine has a pre-registration rate lower than 3%.
Massachusetts Pre-registration Rate Rises to 25%
In 2018, the pre-registration rate in Massachusetts reached 25%, as more than 42,378 eligible 16- and 17-year-olds pre-registered to vote in the state. Between 2016 and 2018, Massachusetts pre-registered more than 62,183 young people.
First Person: A Line Is A Terrible Thing To Waste
I understand from growing up in Orange County that the earlier students get introduced to the democratic voting process, the more likely they are to fight their stereotypical OC apathy in the “OC Bubble” and actively participate in our electoral process.
Only 19% of Rhode Island Teens Are Pre-registered to Vote
A new analysis released by The Civics Center reveals that 19% of 16- and 17-year-olds are pre-registered to vote in Rhode Island. Providence County, with the largest population in the State, has the lowest preregistration rate -- just 12%. On the flip side, Bristol County, with the lowest population has the highest preregistration rate at 26%
Delaware’s Pre-registration Rates Lag Behind Many States
Despite Delaware’s high voter registration rate and efforts to continuously increase the accessibility of voting, this progress is yet to be reflected in the numbers concerning youth pre-registration.
Leading by Example: Lee County, Florida Excels in Civic Engagement
Lee County teaches us that voter education and registration should be a tradition in high schools just like homecoming, college preparation, and graduation. Just as the college application process is about preparing students for their academic lives after high school, the voter education process should be about preparing students for their civic lives after high school.
All trains lead to voter registration
I could hear the commotion of the venue as I exited the L train stop on West 14th Street. My friend Ava and I had lugged a bag filled with candy, stickers, info-sheets about The Civics Center, and a hundred voter registration forms across two different NYC Subway lines.
Question for the high school class of 2019: Are you registered to vote?
Many high school students are hunkered down now, studying for finals, finishing their term papers and planning for graduation and their future. For many, that future seems frightening amid reports of school shootings, climate change and increasing political polarization. They feel they have little to no control over the future of their community, state and nation.
But they do . . .
The Future Voters Club
In under a month, a motivated group of juniors from Centennial High School in Compton, California showed me just how quickly students can affect change in their communities. I first met these students and their incredible teacher at a workshop The Civics Center led at USC in early March.
One week too young
I love it when high school students reach out with their thoughts on civic engagement. Last week was this: “I’m one week too young for Election Day. R.i.p. me.” Translation: “I want to have a voice. I feel powerless because I can’t vote yet. What can I do?”