YOUTH AND THE VOTE

TOP STRATEGIES/INITIATIVES TO INCREASE REGISTRATION & TURNOUT

Statewide Policies and Resources

• Election integrity from the department of state is top priority. 
• Department of State official voting website.
• State ID rules and helpline for Florida.
• Florida: Election deadlines, dates, and rules

High school Initiatives

• Voter pre-registration starts at 16, vote at 18.
• LWV works with schools to register eligible high school students.  For example, the Palm Beach LWV mobilized some 250 volunteers to register nearly 2000 first time voters.
• Civic Center reports Low registration rates of 18 year olds – 25% in Miami-Dade as of May 2022.

College and University initiatives

• 24 campuses participated in ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.
• 2020 Florida Campus Voting Challenge Award Winners:
  • Highest Voter Registration Award: New College Florida 
  • Most Improved Voter Turnout Award: Stetson University 
  • Highest Voter Turnout Award: New College Florida 
  • Best Campus Democratic Engagement Action Plan Award, 4-year Institution: University of South Florida

• Florida PIRG volunteers register thousand new voters on more than a dozen campuses. 

• Andrew Goodman Voter Friendly Campus Award
• FLORIDA CAMPUS VOTER GUIDE
• Out of state and some student IDs are not accepted.

Other Factors and Initiatives

• Parkland and other school shootings continue to stimulate interest in civic and political participation.
• NAACP supported registration of Black voters in Florida, part of the first National Black Voter Day.
• Florida passed laws that make voting more difficult such as banning snacks and water to people waiting in voting lines.