As fewer teens get driver’s licenses, DMV-based voter registration systems are leaving millions of young people without a clear path to register to vote.
A practical guide for using The Civics Center’s state resources to get students registered to vote, share key deadlines, and help new voters prepare for their first election.
NYC students used data, discussion, and local research to explore youth voter registration and plan projects that support stronger civic participation.
As fewer teens get driver’s licenses, DMV-based voter registration systems are leaving millions of young people without a clear path to register to vote.
A practical guide for using The Civics Center’s state resources to get students registered to vote, share key deadlines, and help new voters prepare for their first election.
NYC students used data, discussion, and local research to explore youth voter registration and plan projects that support stronger civic participation.
Registered 18-year-olds in Pennsylvania turn out at high rates in major elections, challenging the idea that young voters are apathetic.
Laura W. Brill reflects on the rule of law, voting rights, and civic responsibility, drawing from history and personal experience to examine how individuals respond when institutions falter.
A statement from CEO Laura W. Brill responding to the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais and its implications for voting rights protections in the United States.
A new Harvard IOP poll highlights declining trust among young Americans in democracy and elections, raising concerns about participation and long-term civic engagement.
The League of Women Voters and The Civics Center announce a national partnership to support student-led voter registration drives in high schools across the United States.
New state-by-state resources from The Civics Center help high school communities understand voter registration rules, preregistration options, and deadlines, and provide tools to support student-led voter registration drives.
New voter file data from New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio reveals a growing youth voter registration gap. Month-by-month data shows how many students are missing from voter rolls and why stronger school-based registration efforts matter.
Cap Gown and Ballot helps students and educators organize voter registration drives in high schools so seniors graduate registered, informed, and ready to vote.
The SAVE Act would require passports or birth certificates to register to vote, a barrier that could block millions of newly eligible young voters.
A guide to state laws requiring high schools to support voter registration, including form distribution, registration drives, education, and compliance policies.
Civics education should prepare students not only to understand democracy but to participate in it. Yet youth voter registration remains dramatically lower than among older Americans. Closing that gap starts with integrating voting education and registration into high school life.
Fewer than 12% of California teens are preregistered to vote, leaving more than 900,000 eligible young people outside the state’s democratic process and raising concerns about youth participation in democracy.
New data highlights a severe young voter registration gap in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and New Jersey, where many eligible 18-year-olds remain unregistered despite strong turnout when registered.
The Civics Center and CenterLink announce a partnership to train students and LGBTQ organizations to lead high school voter registration drives nationwide.
The SAVE Act and related bills threaten to restrict voter registration nationwide, putting millions of eligible Americans at risk of being excluded from elections and reshaping how voting works in the U.S.
A little-known fact of American democracy is that most high school students are old enough to register to vote. Yet our systems make it far harder than it should be. In this piece for U.S. News & World Report, we explore the barriers young voters face and what needs to change.
High school students across the country are watching Minneapolis and asking what it means for them. This article reflects on power, protest, commitment, and the role young people play in shaping democracy when moments feel urgent and uncertain.
More than 187,000 Minnesota high school students are eligible to register or preregister to vote, a number larger than the margin of victory in the 2024 Minnesota elections.
New Jersey’s new preregistration law gives high school students a rare opportunity to shape a special election, starting with the January 15 voter registration deadline.
As a new year begins, millions of young people are gaining the right to vote. This is a reminder that civic power starts with registration, and that first-time voters can shape what comes next in 2026.
A look at why support for young voters fades when it matters most, and how meaningful civic engagement in high schools can change that, as highlighted in Laura Brill’s new piece in The Contrarian.
Laura W. Brill examines why youth voter registration fails and how public officials and school systems can drive real reform through high school access.
Teen voting doesn’t fail because teens don’t care. It fails because systems are confusing and adults underestimate their influence.
Young voters face steep registration barriers, and states like New Hampshire lag far behind Michigan and Virginia. Understanding these obstacles is key to improving youth turnout in 2026.
Laura Brill invites readers to a major Civics Center milestone and an SSIR conversation on youth engagement, democracy, and the systems shaping participation.
Post-2024 narratives said young voters were shifting right, but 2025 data shows strong youth engagement and solid pro-democracy support across key races.
You can’t fix what you can’t see. That’s why we created data visualizations exposing the massive voter registration gap between young and old voters. High school students have the power to close that gap—and reshape the future of our democracy.
