Updated July 2024: For more up-to-date information on what The Civics Center is doing, check out this article on our 2024 Cap Gown & Ballot season: Make Graduation Season Voter Registration Season, Too
With the midterm elections less than four months away, and COVID-related declines in youth voter registration threatening to dampen youth turnout in November, The Civics Center has convened over 70 youth and democracy organizations for a national week of action focused on high school voter registration.
Four million youth turn 18 every year. Approximately one million high school students will be old enough to vote in November if they are registered. Millions more live in states where they can preregister to vote as soon as they turn 16 or 17, providing additional opportunities for youth engagement. Virtually all Americans become eligible to register or preregister while they are still in high school. Yet most schools have no programs, curriculum, training, or events to actually help their students take this important step.
Based on The Civics Center’s independent analysis of census data, in November 2020, 86% of registered youth turned out to vote. In the midterm elections in 2018, 66% of registered youth turned out to vote.
High School Voter Registration Week, now in its fourth year, will run from September 19-23, 2022, overlapping with National Voter Registration Day. The National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed High School Voter Registration Week on its 2022-2023 List of Approved Contests, Programs, and Activities for Students.
Students and educators participate in High School Voter Registration Week by attending a one-hour zoom workshop on how to organize a nonpartisan voter registration drive in their high school. They then register their drive with The Civics Center, and The Civics Center provides a free “Democracy in a Box” toolkit of supplies for their drive. Students recruit peer volunteers and amplify their impact on social media. Students connect with their peers and learn valuable leadership skills in organizing their community.
Adult supporters who do not work directly with high school students can attend a volunteer workshop focused on outreach to encourage school participation.
The Civics Center has convened dozens of partner organizations to participate in the effort, including: American Constitution Society, All on the Line, Arizona AANHPI For Equity, Asian Youth for Civic Engagement, Bites Media, Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs, Business for America, C5 Association, Campus Vote Project, Center for Common Ground, Chi-Town GVP Summit, Civic Spirit, Coalition on Human Needs, DemCast USA, Democracy Matters, DemocraShe, EarthDay.org, Every Vote Counts, Fair Elections Center, FairVote, Feel Good Action, Fix Democracy First, Future Coalition, Generation Citizen, Generation Nation, Generation Vote, GENup, GLI, GLSEN, HeadCount, ICA LA, Inspire 2 Vote, Issue Voter, JSA, Lawyer Moms Action, League of Women Voters, Main Street Alliance, Make it 100, March For Our Lives, March to the Polls, Mi Familia Vota, Movement Advancement Project, National Congress of American Indians, National Council of Jewish Women, New Georgia Project, New North Carolina Project Foundation, New Voters, Our Vote Texas, PA Youth Vote, Progressive Turnout Project, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Scrutineers, Students Run LA, Student Voice, Teen Health Mississippi, Tennessee Campus Democracy Network, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Turnout Coalition, The United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society, Third Act, Youth Transparent USA, Verified Voting, Vote.org, VoteRiders, Voters of Tomorrow, Voto Latino, Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, Women’s March Foundation, YMCA, Youth Activism Project, YVote, and 18by Vote.