Democracy Under Delta: A Summer of Voter Preregistration in California
The recently published California Secretary of State report on youth voter preregistration statistics from July 16, 2021 contains promising data: youth preregistration is on the rise.
Reports over the past year and a half have revealed the large toll the pandemic has had on voter preregistration in California. As of March 2021, only 11% of 16- and 17-year-olds were preregistered to vote in California, and only 10% in LA County. However, the numbers have been climbing since then, with a statewide increase of more than 1.32 percentage points.
San Mateo County led the recent uptick in rates, achieving a preregistration rate of 18%, the highest rate among California’s 20 largest counties. Northern California counties also achieved higher rates than the statewide rate of 12%. Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco counties all now have preregistration rates around 15%.
While Los Angeles County had an increase in the preregistration rate of 1.5 percentage points, the preregistration rate remains low at only 11%. This low rate underscores the large number of young people who have not taken advantage of the voter preregistration law. There is an enormous potential for growth if civic education, awareness, and access to resources becomes more widespread in the county.
Young people are constantly aging out of being counted in the preregistration category as they turn 18 and become fully registered, instead of just preregistered. Thus, the uptick in preregistrations, especially during a period after a major national election, is a positive indicator that many new 16-and-17-year-olds are planning to actively engage in the voting process. Vaccine availability and greater public awareness and organizing are also likely factors leading to the rise. As youth voter registration grows, young people will have greater influence on election outcomes, including in the upcoming California gubernatorial recall election on September 14.
The Civic Center’s Los Angeles pilot project focusing on youth education and policy reform, launched in February 2021. In March 2021, The Civics Center issued a major report analyzing the opportunities and obstacles to youth voting and comparing voter registration rates for young voters by school district within Los Angeles County. We learned from public records requests sent to LA County’s 52 school districts in 2021 that 30 districts could provide no evidence or documentation of programming related to voter registration.
School districts and individual schools can and should take a leadership role in promoting accessibility, awareness and opportunities for preregistration and registration.
High School Voter Registration Week (HSVRW) is a national week of action for high school students to hold nonpartisan voter registration drives in their schools. HSVRW takes place this year from September 27-October 1. Students can attend live workshops and receive a free Democracy in a Box toolkit by signing up to hold a drive at this link. High School Voter Registration Week serves as a great opportunity to increase civic engagement among young people in California and nationwide. As we head into the fall, we should expect a big surge in preregistration rates and youth voter registration.
Preregistration data for California’s most populous counties, listed alphabetically and descending by preregistration rate
(July 2021)
Sources: Cal. SoS Report of Preregistration; US Census ACS 5-year survey
Sources: Cal. SoS Report of Preregistration; US Census ACS 5-year survey