2 minute read
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS Civic Health
Policy Recommendation 8:
States can investigate and invest in youth engagement activities that encourage future electoral participation and familiarize youth with the mechanics of the state’s election system (e.g., process, voting machines and system safeguards against fraud).
The Civic Health Subcommittee approved this recommendation without hesitation, noting that efforts to engage youth in democratic processes such as state election systems are imperative to improving civic health in the United States.
The bipartisan committee discussed a range of activities from mock elections to recruiting youth as poll workers to educate and prepare the next generation of voters and leaders. In Maine, we put this recommendation into action by holding a statewide mock election and training high school students to serve as poll workers on Election Day. Engaging youth early and directly in activities that help them understand how elections work strengthens democracy now and into the future.”
Young Americans often cite a lack of meaningful opportunities to participate in democratic processes as a barrier to their civic engagement. 1 To improve civic health in the long term, state leaders might consider ways to incorporate young people in civic and decision-making processes early in life.
In their 2022 report, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) found that state policies making it easier for youth to register to vote, and those that allow teens paid work opportunities in local elections go a long way in instilling civic behaviors in young people.2 Recent research supports their findings; for example, in 2020, counties with pre-registration had a higher youth voter (ages 18-29) turnout rate than those without.3 Likewise, in Minneapolis, a study found that precincts with a higher number of youth poll workers saw a significant correlation with higher voter turnout among 18- to 24-year-olds.4
The CIRCLE research team notes that where these and other policies already exist, elected officials and election administrators can make them more effective by examining their implementation to ensure that there is adequate information about them and strategies in place for that information to reach youth broadly and equitably in different communities.
Precincts with a higher number of youth poll workers saw a significant correlation with higher voter turnout among 18- to 24-year-olds.
State Examples
In Maine, 16-year-olds can be pre-registered to vote, a measure intended to increase the number of young people learning about and preparing for democratic participation in the state.
A partnership among the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office, Department of Education and local school districts created the Nevada Student Mock Election, which allows K-12 students to participate in mock elections that coincide with statewide races.5 This gives students more knowledge of the voting process and makes them more comfortable with it so that they become more likely to participate in civic activities.
Through a program called Grads Vote, every Ohio high school receives voter registration packets to distribute to graduating seniors.6 The goal of the program is to enable young people to become full electoral participants.
Additional Resources
Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE): Growing Voters – Building Institutions and Community Ecosystems for Equitable Electoral Participation — https://circle.tufts.edu/circlegrowingvoters
The Council of State Governments: State Civic Education Toolkit — https://www.csg.org/2022/05/03/state-civic-education-toolkit/
The Council of State Governments State Leader Policy Brief: Increasing Trust in Government — https://web.csg.org/csghealthystates/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2022/05/Healthy-StatesNational-Task-Force-Policy-Brief-Increasing-Public-Trust-in-Government.pdf
