The topic that I will be doing for my civic engagement project is that of youth voter participation in government elections, propositions and the implications that can occur by lack of participation. I chose this to be my topic because I am involved in that age group, and I want to be able to relay information on why it is important to be more involved in events such as these as it impacts the future of their lives and deliver it in such a way that it will interest those that have not participated in these events. I want people to have their voice heard and to tell them why its so important to be involved.
Problems of low voter participation.
Low voter participation among young people is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. Low youth voter participation leads to little to no representation for young people's interests and because of that it could lead to long term participation problems for this group. If this continues to be the norm for our society it could greatly affect the generations to come as numbers will continue to decrease and will disproportionate the representation of the American people in when it comes to government legislation.
Reasons for low registration:
Upon turning the age of 18 Young voters face particular disadvantages within the voluntary registration system. These new eligible voters are now put into a position in which they do not know how this voting system works , including how and where to register to vote. With all this confusion many of these young voters miss deadlines and other important information that can help them vote.
In an article called “ The Case For National Voter Pre-Registration law ” they conducted interviews with this age group to determine what are the reasons that they do not vote or participate in these events. They state“ In interviews with dozens of young people, we found that many of them lacked confidence in themselves and their ability to navigate the voting process for the first time. Many told us that in their busy, hectic, and ever-changing schedules, voting often simply falls by the wayside.”
Many young people want to participate, they care deeply about the political scene when it comes to their representation and plan to participate. But they find doing so too big of a hassle to actually follow through with their ideals. Who are these young people you may be asking. The age group is that of people that are 18-29 years old.
Ways to increase participation:
Currently there are many states trying to reform their laws to help better increase the numbers of young people to participate in voting. One such law is that of automatic voting registration. If the person is already registered to vote by the time they are the age of 18 it makes it easier for them to participate while also having a hectic schedule in their lives. The article entitled “Why So Few Young Americans vote “ their findings show that automatic voter registration substantially increases the number of young people voting for the first time.”
"This suggests that reforms that work to make voting easier and expand the electorate have great potential to meaningfully increase turnout for young voters.”
An article entitled “Increasing Voter Participation in America” outline a few ideas that will help not only this age group participate in legislation but others as well.
1. Streamline voter registration with automatic voter registration, same-day voter
registration (SDR),11 preregistration of 16- and 17-year-olds,
and online voter registration
2. Make voting more convenient with in-person early voting, no-excuse absentee
voting, and vote-at-home with vote centers
3. Provide sufficient resources in elections and ensure voting is accessible
4. Restore rights for formerly incarcerated people
5. Strengthen civics education in schools
6. Invest in integrated voter engagement (IVE) and outreach
The video below is one that I found very eye opening and portrays just how how much of an impact the younger generation can have if they participate in voting.
Statements from the community:
I asked fellow community members that are affected by this issue in the age range of 18- 24 “Did you vote in the Primary elections, and if you did or did not why; Why do you think people our age have a trouble time voting/ getting involved.
“Hi my name is Ivan J. Hernandez and I did not vote in the primary elections. To be honest I did not vote because I forgot to. I think the reason people our age have a hard time voting is that they’re not informed enough but I believe that people our age need to vote because it makes a huge difference for our country”
‘’My name is Hollie Jones I did vote in the primary election this current year. It is my civic duty to vote. I think people our age are getting more involved during this election with the strong support for Bernie sanders but I feel that their interest will drop because of the lack of progressive views since he dropped out. In other words people our age don’t vote because people that are running have a traditional view on life and they want more progressive legislation from this next election. We need to participate so that others know what we want”
“My name is Emmanuel Dorado and I voted in the primary elections. I voted because it’s a right and a privilege that we have as some areas in the world don’t. One of the reasons people our age have a hard time voting is that they feel that their vote won't count as well as they are not knowledgeable enough. I believe that there needs to be clearer information provided."
References:
Ceridwen Cherry, Increasing Youth Participation: The Case for a National Voter Pre-Registration Law, 45 U. MICH. J. L. REFORM 481 (2012).
Holbein, John. “Why so Few Young Americans Vote.” The Conversation, 8 Mar. 2020, theconversation.com/why-so-few-young-americans-vote-132649.
“Voter Turnout Demographics.” United States Elections Project, www.electproject.org/home/voter-turnout/demographics.
Holbein, John. “Why so Few Young Americans Vote.” The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2020, theconversation.com/why-so-few-young-americans-vote-132649.
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