The Future of Youth Voter Participation: A Call for States to Revamp Voter Registration Methods [Voices of Democracy series]

Unfortunately, a large percentage of the population does not take advantage of the right to vote, and young people in particular are under-represented in the voting population. Census data suggests that the primary reason for this under-representation may be a failure of young voters to register: in 2020, eighteen to twenty-four-year-old citizens who registered to vote actually voted at fairly comparable rates as citizens over the age of twenty-four, but they registered in much lower numbers. Specifically, in 2020, 86% of registered young voters voted, but only 60% were registered. By comparison, 92% of registered older voters voted, and 74% were registered. So while there was only a six point differential between the two groups in terms of voting by those registered, there was a fourteen point differential in registration.

One way to almost certainly increase youth participation is to introduce pre-registration and automatic voter registration (AVR) laws in every state, as contemplated by the federal Freedom to Vote Act currently pending in Congress. Pre-registration means registering citizens to vote before they can vote, so that when they turn 18, they are already registered to vote. AVR is the act of registering citizens to vote through their interaction with regular government business. AVR means that (1) any individual who interacts with the institution or business becomes registered unless they opt out and (2) the identifying information individuals provide to the institution or business is transmitted to election officials who verify their eligibility to vote, allowing a seamless and secure process.

Currently, AVR typically happens through a state’s driver’s license offices and is often a combination of automatic registration and pre-registration: upon obtaining a license, the individual becomes automatically registered if over 18 and pre-registered if under 18, unless they opt out of registration. As of January 2021, about twenty states and the District of Columbia permit some form of AVR, typically through the DMV.

The Brennan Center for Justice conducted a comprehensive multi-state analysis of AVR to determine its effectiveness and found that AVR increases registration between 9 and 94%. Furthermore, the increases can be found in large and small states and in states across the political spectrum, and the increases are similar regardless of how the states implement the opt-out option (most states provide the option at the first point of contact with the government agency, but some states provide it later). The Brennan Center rightly points out certain conditions under which current AVR methods have limits. For example, in states where car ownership is relatively low, or where the state requires very infrequent visits to the DMV, the impact of AVR through the DMV will be relatively small when compared to other states, and it might make sense to implement AVR at other government agencies. And in closed primary states, registration is only half the battle: once a voter is registered, even if that registration is automatic, there must be an additional step to indicate party affiliation; if that step is not taken, the voter will be deemed nonaffiliated and will not be eligible to vote in a primary. To help overcome this additional barrier to voting participation, the DMV could periodically generate a reminder postcard to all registered but non-affiliated voters. Another problem occurs in states like California that do not automatically register teens who get their learner’s permits at 15-1/2, before they are eligible to pre-register to vote at 16 under California law. 

So how can AVR be expanded? One obvious first step is to have every state implement AVR through its Department of Motor Vehicles, so that anyone who acquires a driver’s permit or license would automatically be pre-registered to vote. But since not every sixteen or seventeen-year-old obtains a permit or license, states should identify other places where people can pre-register or automatically register on a large scale with little to no effort. Some obvious options include schools and libraries. Another good option could be through the I.R.S., since 90% of Americans appear on a tax return each year.

Since AVR won’t register everyone, registration should also be encouraged elsewhere. Employers could be incentivized to help their employees register to vote, for example, by including voter registration forms with the other forms new employees fill out. If even just Amazon and Walmart were to help register every employee they hired in the United States, they could potentially register approximately 2,500,000 people. And, if just fast food chains–some of the largest employers of young people–were encouraged to help their employees register to vote, between 3,500,000 and 4,000,000 people could become registered. The major insurance companies, who cover such a large number of Americans, could offer the same registration option to anyone who purchased insurance.

Clearly, for any state serious about increasing voter participation among young voters in particular, an update to voter registration protocols is overdue. 

Charlie Selbin is a 2020 Future Voters Action Week participant and is a senior at Riverdale Country School in New York, New York. The Civics Center’s “Voices of Democracy” blog series celebrates and highlights the voices that matter to us most: those of young people working to improve civic engagement and participation in our democracy.