Future Voters and Gaps in Our Democracy Executive Summary March 23, 2021
In 1971, young people fought for and won the right to vote beginning at age 18. But the promise of the 26th Amendment, which Congress approved 50 years ago today, has not been fulfilled. High school voter registration is the most promising tool for increasing civic participation for young people in the United States. It is also the most under-appreciated.
Most young people can register to vote before high school graduation
23
states allow young people to register to vote at least 2 years before their first election in which they are eligible to vote
12
states allow young people to register to vote at least one year before their first election
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states allow less than a full year for young people to register before their first election
But barriers to high school voter registration prevent millions of students from registering. They include a lack of
and
AWARENESS CIVICS EDUCATION DATA TRANSPARENCY FUNDING POLICY AND PLANNING ENFORCEMENT
RESPONSIBILITY ACCOUNTABILITY UNIFORM PRE-18 REGISTRATION AT 16 USER FRIENDLY REGISTRATION SYSTEMS
STEREOTYPES ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE VOTER SUPPRESSION LAWS
Despite favorable laws and available educator resources, only 11% of 16- and 17-year-olds are preregistered to vote in California. In Los Angeles County, it’s only 10%.
From public records requests sent to 52 school districts in Los Angeles County, we learned:
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responding districts (out of 36) provided evidence of no (or almost no) programming related to voter registration
10
responding districts did not provide a single document in response to public records requests, suggesting or acknowledging a lack of attention to voter registration
7 5
Levels of Voter Registration Activity in L.A. County School Districts
Levels of Voter Registration Activity in Responding School Districts responding districts did not provide the names of their schools’ voter registration contacts required under California law
responding districts provided evidence of much more significant voter registration activity than others
Registration and Turnout Rates for the Youngest L.A. County Voters
School districts that reported more robust voter registration activities generally appeared in higher tiers
58%
18-year-olds in L.A. County that were registered to vote in time for the 2020 general election (compared to the statewide youth average of 66.4%)
75%
Registered 18-year-olds in L.A. County who voted in the 2020 general election (compared to the statewide average of 71% for 18- to 24-year-olds)
Voter Registration, Turnout, and Poverty ○ ○
Districts with higher registration rates also had higher turnout rates The poverty-associated decline in turnout among registered 18-year-olds was far less dramatic than either (1) the poverty-associated decline in registration rates or (2) the poverty-associated decline in turnout among all 18-year-olds.
L.A. County Interim Conclusions ●
We found little evidence of schools doing “all in [their] power to ensure that students are provided the opportunity and means to apply to register to vote” as required under the Elections Code.
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Given the amount of voter education districts are currently providing, the dismal 10% preregistration rate is not surprising.
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Increasing high school voter registration can increase youth turnout across the range of different child poverty levels.
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We need both further study and immediate action to understand more and to take advantage of the opportunity to increase civic engagement for all youth.
A Call to Action How can our institutions equip young people with the knowledge they need to join and strengthen our democracy? Our goal is to eliminate the registration gap between the youngest and older voters by 2024. Here’s how to do it.
Federal government action Enact H.R. 1, the For the People Act, or legislation introduced by Rep. Joe Neguse (CO) to create uniform preregistration at 16. Uniform preregistration at 16 would: ●
Give schools 2 years to provide students a meaningful opportunity to register to vote
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Give students 2 years to develop leadership skills and organize school-based registration drives
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Increase the proportion of students registered to vote before they go to college/work
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Simplify efforts of nongovernmental organizations to support school districts and their schools’ programming for high school students
State and county government action ●
Provide substantive voter education to high school students that informs students how to register and how to participate in our democracy
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Create automatic and online voter registration systems that are accessible to high school students
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Improve transparency and data collection by requiring elections officials to maintain data and provide regular reports on the numbers of 16- and 17-year-olds who preregister or register to vote
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Create accountability by designating elections officials and school administrators who are responsible for implementing high school registration programs
School district, school, and educator action ●
Adopt and implement district-wide policies supporting pre-18 registration
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Provide educational programming that informs students about eligibility requirements and how to register
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Devote adequate classroom or advisory time for students to register to vote twice each year
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Designate a faculty member responsible for providing voter registration forms to students and student outreach coordinators
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Partner with state and county officials and/or nongovernmental organizations for training, resources, and guidance with nonpartisan voter registration efforts
Community action Parents, clubs, religious groups, and nongovernmental organizations all have roles to play to support the legal, educational, and cultural framework for high school voter registration. Each of these groups can help launch and maintain voter registration initiatives in high schools in their communities by providing educational programming and advice, material support (pens, clipboards, posters, stickers, snacks!), organizational assistance, and cheerleading for inspiring teachers and student leaders.
Conclusions High school voter registration is the most unknown and untapped resource to increase informed participation in our democracy, especially among young people. But our institutions are failing to equip young adults with the knowledge they need to participate in our democracy. Only when high school voter registration becomes as routine as homecoming and prom will the promise of the 26th Amendment be fulfilled.