30+% Increase in Voter Registration for 18-Year-Olds in Greater Philadelphia Area in Just One Month
With Election Day less than one month away, young people have been registering to vote in significantly increasing numbers.
Pennsylvania is among the states in which young people are likely to have the greatest electoral significance in November. In every county in the greater Philadelphia area, the registration rate for the youngest potential voters increased by more than 25% (an average of more than 6 percentage points) in just four weeks, and region-wide the rate increased by more than 30%. This period of significant increase, more than 1.5 percentage points per week on average, included High School Voter Registration Week, a national week of action, launched by The Civics Center in 2019, in which high school students across the country organize voter registration drives for their school communities.
The Philadelphia-area increases, which occurred between September 5, 2022 to October 3, 2022, are as follows:
Berks County: 30% increase (up 4.5 percentage points)
Bucks County: 29% increase (up 7 percentage points)
Chester County: 29% increase (up 7 percentage points)
Delaware County: 26% increase (up 6 percentage points)
Montgomery County: 32% increase (up 8 percentage points)
Philadelphia County: 37% increase (up 6 percentage points)
Other key findings include the following:
During the four weeks studied, the number of the youngest potential voters who are registered in the greater Philadelphia area increased by more than 3,700 and by more than 7,500 since July 11, 2022.
While youth registration rates are increasing, there continues to be a great deal of opportunity for more growth. Only three counties in the greater Philadelphia area achieved rates of 30% or above, and none have reached 35% registration for youth who will be 18 on Election Day.
Philadelphia, the most populous county in the region, achieved the greatest percentage increase since both July (109%) and September (37%).
Between 800,000 and 1 million high school students nationwide will be eligible to vote in November, if they are registered.
According to US Census data, in the 2018 midterms, 66% of registered youth ages 18-24 turned out to vote.
The Pennsylvania deadline to register to vote for the November 8 midterm election is October 24, 2022, just two weeks from now.
The Civics Center offers free resources to encourage youth to register to vote, including training students and educators to hold voter registration drives for their communities. The Civics Center also offers volunteer opportunities, educational programs focused on youth leadership development, research, and resources. Schools can circulate graphics to their community or request a personalized digital flier.
The Civics Center’s report relies on voter files from the state of Pennsylvania and U.S. Census data. The Civics Center’s report on September 2022 data is here, and our report on July 2022 data is here.
