Disappointing turnout among millennial voters in the 2016 general election raised questions about their willingness to participate in elections and, consequently, their overall interest in politics. While this underwhelming level of participation stemmed from deeper issues, such as young people’s dislike of candidates at the national level and the fact that the current political and economic systems cater to older voters, the first step in addressing this phenomenon is increasing voter registration among millennials (those born between the early 1980s and the early 1990s) and Gen Zers (those born from the mid-1990s to the mid-2010s). Implementing measures to modernize the voter registration process and make it more convenient can help bring young voters to the polls, allowing them to better exert their political influence and realize the changes they would like to see.
On Election Day in 2016, only about half of the 62 million millennials who were eligible to vote showed up to the polls, compared to approximately 70% of the 70 million eligible baby boomers. This is a difference of up to 18 million potential voters, or 1.5 million shy of the population of New York state.
Millennials and baby boomers are now considered nearly equal political forces. However, in terms of sheer size, the millennial population has surpassed that of baby boomers as of July 2019, due to both an influx of younger immigrants and an increase in deaths among older Americans. Now that some members of Gen Z have reached voting age as well, the youth vote has the potential to dramatically influence the results of the 2020 election.
That is, if they vote.
Leading up to Super Tuesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., continued to attract youthful supporters with policies such as College for All and Medicare for All, which address two of the primary concerns expressed by young people today: education and health care. Despite this promising sign that the younger generations might turn out to vote in the 2020 Democratic primaries, all 14 Super Tuesday states saw youth voter participation rates of 20% or less. Joe Biden became the presumptive Democratic nominee after Sanders’ poor performance on Super Tuesday, and a coalition of “never Trump” voters across the political spectrum has since formed, encouraging people to vote for Biden even if he is not their ideal candidate. Youth in particular may feel that Biden is a far cry from Sanders, and may ultimately decide not to vote at all this November.
There are countless barriers that prevent voters, young and old, from turning out on Election Day, including lack of transportation to the polls and long lines at polling places. However, before we can systematically address these obstacles, we must focus on modernizing the first step of voting: the registration process. With modernized voter registration, youth would be more likely to register and therefore exert their influence on election outcomes, putting into office more politicians who support the progressive policies they favor. The voter registration process should become less time-consuming and more efficient through online voter registration options, which include online registration offered by individual states, automatic voter registration, and services like TurboVote.
Currently, 40 states and the District of Columbia either offer online voter registration or are beginning to implement it. Once an individual submits their electronic application, election officials review it for errors and compare it to the information they provided when they received their state-issued driver’s license or identification card. Some states also offer online registration to those who may not already have their information on file.
In addition, 16- and 17-year-olds in 16 states and the District of Columbia may preregister to vote, even if their 18th birthday falls after Election Day. If they have a driver’s permit or driver’s license, they may complete the application online. Once they turn 18, officials will add them to the list of registered voters. Allowing young people to become part of the electoral process before they can legally vote fosters an appreciation for civic responsibility and generally helps to improve youth voter turnout.
These online options are time-saving — the individual does not have to travel to their state or local election office to obtain an application or wait for officials to receive it by mail. They are able to register to vote whenever and wherever is convenient for them. Some states, including New York, have switched to online registration entirely.
An alternative method called automatic voter registration is an opt-out registration system used by government agencies. As of January 2020, 16 states and the District of Columbia have implemented AVR. Through agencies such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, unregistered individuals who are eligible to vote are automatically registered unless they indicate that they do not want to participate in AVR. Previously registered voters can participate by updating their information. From there, the agency sends the registration information directly to officials through the computer, reducing hassle for all parties involved.
AVR has drastically improved voter registration statistics in many states, since only those who strongly oppose registering to vote will likely opt out. In Oregon, for example, the number of voter registrations at the DMV quadrupled after the state adopted AVR in 2016. Similarly, Vermont saw a 62% increase in voter registrations just six months after it implemented AVR.
Another viable option is TurboVote, an online service that guides users through the registration process, helps them request absentee ballots if necessary (a feature that is especially useful for college students, who may live across the country from where they registered to vote), and sends them election reminders. TurboVote has tremendously simplified the registration process by allowing users to access all of these services from their phone, computer, or other device, conveniently providing them with all the tools they need to participate in elections.
In its 8-year history, more than 6 million voters have signed up for a TurboVote account, and the service has partnered with over 300 colleges and universities, including Harvard, to promote voter registration. Users can also join the “TurboVote Challenge,” which aims to raise the nationwide voter registration rate to 80% by 2024.
Young voters today have a plethora of voter registration opportunities available at their fingertips (literally). As more states implement online or opt-out options and perhaps only offer online registration in the future, voter registration numbers should continue to improve across the country.
While there are still some factors at play that prevent the United States from being able to reach 100% youth voter registration and participation rates, modernizing the registration process is a huge leap in the right direction. Increased youth voter registration could help close the political power gap between millennials/Gen Zers and baby boomers, and ensure that elected officials more fairly represent constituents and their interests.
Image source: Flickr/Molly Adams