About 4 million Americans will turn 18 in 2026, but if past trends continue, under a third of them will be registered to vote in the November elections. Automatically registering every American when they come of age would be the fairest, most effective way to protect US democracy, yet we have built an electoral system that does the opposite.
Every year, millions of 18-year-old Americans go unregistered and excluded from the electoral process. In a typical midterm year, US census data shows fewer than 30% are registered to vote, compared with nearly 75% of those aged 45 and up. Because they are outside of state voter files, candidates, campaigns and pollsters ignore them. Their voices and energy go untapped; their policy and programmatic needs go unfunded.
Conventional wisdom has it that too many teens just don’t care about politics. After all, less than half of all 18- to 24-year-olds voted in the past three presidential elections, compared with more than two-thirds of the over-45s. And yet: when 18-year-olds are registered, they turn out in major elections at nearly the same rates as older folks. In the swing state of Pennsylvania, for instance, more than 80% of registered 18-year-olds voted in the 2020 and 2024 general elections.
Read more:Prediabetes: 3 lifestyle changes lower chronic disease risk by 21%
So low turnout is not because of apathy – it’s lack of access and support. Our systems fail to welcome all young voters into our democracy as soon as they are eligible. That’s why even though many states allow pre-registration at 15, 16 or 17, millions remain unregistered by the time of their first election at 18.
The barriers to youth registration are not well known. Thanks to the 1993 “Motor Voter” law, state DMVs are the main voter registration agencies, and 24 states (plus Washington DC) have full or partial “automatic” registration for drivers. But “automatic” systems can be designed so poorly that many eligible teens opt out of pre-registering – in California, for example, up to 45% opt out, according to state data.
Read more:De la Fuente urges caution over Yamal comparisons to Messi
Furthermore, teen driving rates have dropped dramatically over the past couple of decades, and today only 44% of 17-year olds and only 60% of 18-year-olds have licenses. That amounts to 4.25 million Americans who are not going to the DMV to get licensed as they come of age.
So what are the non-driver’s options? Follow the flood of pre-election social media campaigns to register online? Sadly, 29 state systems require a driver’s license or state ID to complete a registration form online. It’s not just young people who are thwarted by these systems: there are millions of adults without driver’s licenses. The many teens among them are not well equipped to manage voter registration by other means, like paper forms, without expert help.
Happily, there is a sustainable, practical and cost-effective solution to this system’s failure: make voter registration a normal part of high school ahead of graduation. While 40% of Americans don’t go on to college, virtually everyone is enrolled in high school. It means we can reach them in a space trusted by their community, and teach them not only how to vote, but why that matters. Most states already have laws requiring high schools to help students with voter registration, but too often they are ignored. States could likewise designate high schools as voter registration agencies, but only three states have done so: Tennessee, Louisiana and Maine.
The worst performers in registering teens, at less than 25%, include “purple” states that attract maximum media coverage in election years – looking at you, Pennsylvania and Ohio – as well as true-blue Connecticut and ruby red Alabama. The good news is that some states – Oregon at 86% and Michigan at 77% – have dramatically raised their rates, so the problem is fixable. Kids there are not more engaged or motivated: their states have made it easier for them to access their political power.
Groups like my organization, the Civics Center, and our partners like the League of Women Voters, work to help high school students register to vote. Alongside those community efforts, we need laws and leaders who prioritize empowering the youngest American voters, for example by enacting and promoting pre-registration laws and building them a manageable onramp to democracy.
Registering to vote should become a rite of passage for young Americans, a mark of adulthood – regardless of your race, your zip code or whether you went to college. And until our state-level leaders act to empower young Americans, it’s on us – students, teachers, parents and local communities – to get our kids ready for November and beyond.
Read more:Alabama wants to execute a man by nitrogen hypoxia. That is cruel | Austin Sarat | The Guardian
What’s giving me hope now
It’s inspiring to see high school students take the lead and embrace their own capacity to make a difference and have a voice. They gain confidence as they talk with their peers, organize, and envision a future they would like to build together. Drives are a real-life celebration of democracy, and every student is invited. When one student learns how to register and get started, they can activate their whole school, motivate others, and get friends, family and community members involved. Teens are part of We the People. They have the right to vote at 18, the power to register before then, and the capacity to understand, to participate and to lead.
