The Pandemic Led to a Steep Decline in California’s Preregistration Rates: Our Systems Should Evolve to Meet the Moment

The California Secretary of State recently published the state’s most recent youth voter preregistration statistics from February 10, 2021. This report has illuminated a troubling trend for youth engagement and preregistration. 

With the 2020 election setting records for youth voter turnout, it looked as though voter preregistration numbers might have reflected the same level of enthusiasm. However, the numbers tell a different story. 

As of February 2021, around 112,000 16- and 17-year-olds in California were preregistered to vote, and the number of preregistered voters in California declined by 21% from February 2019 to 2021. There was a significant decline in every one of the 20 most populous counties in the state. Monterey and Fresno Counties both experienced 39% declines in the number of preregistered voters compared to February 2019. Other counties with declines of 25% or more in the same period include Los Angeles, Monterey, Tulare, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Kern, and Sacramento.

San Mateo County experienced the smallest decline, with only a .21% decrease in the number of preregistered voters in February 2021, compared with February 2019.

Much of this decline can be attributed to the pandemic, or, more specifically, the logistical and educational issues of voter registration in California that the pandemic exposed and exacerbated. Due to the closures of in-person schools, California students have been learning online for the past year. Under California law, high schools are required to have a person responsible for distributing voter registration forms. Even when schools are open, however, at least in Los Angeles, they do little to teach their students how to register to vote, as evidenced in The Civics Center’s recent report on the topic. 

With virtual learning, administrative systems that are not designed with young people in mind, are unable to make up for lack of formal education about voter registration. California’s online voter registration system is easy to use for those who already have a state ID. But many 16- and 17-year-olds in California have been unable to receive a driver’s license due to the closure of DMV’s during the early months of the pandemic. Without a state ID, the “online” process requires mailing in a postcard with a signature, which is an extra step that many young people do not expect and often do not complete. 

Additionally, a large source of pre-registration has been the DMV’s Motor Voter automatic voter registration system which automatically places eligible citizens in the voter roll when they receive or renew their license unless they choose to opt out. While the Motor Voter program is available for 16- and 17-year-olds, it does not reach Californians who receive their driver’s permit at 15-and-a-half. The California program is not set up to track these young drivers and enroll them in the voter registration system when they turn 16 and are able to preregister. 

The pandemic has illuminated the significant role our systems play in youth preregistration. It seems that getting one’s license is more than just a coming-of-age milestone; it is a critical component of youth voter registration. We must update our approach to create an equitable, accessible, and open process of voter registration.

Comparison of preregistration data for California’s most populous counties, listed alphabetically and descending by preregistration rate

(Feb. 2019 & Feb. 2021)

Sources: U.S. Census, California Secretary of State

Sources: U.S. Census, California Secretary of State