YOUTH AND THE VOTE

TOP STRATEGIES/INITIATIVES TO INCREASE REGISTRATION & TURNOUT OF YOUNG VOTERS

State efforts to facilitate youth voting

• Voter pre-registration available at 16.
• Online, in-person and same day voter registration are available
• DC Board of Elections portal.
• DC is a national center of civic engagement on issues of concern to young people, e.g. gun safety, reproductive rights, climate, etc.

High school Initiatives

• Pre-registration available from 16. 
• Voting is allowed at 17 in primary elections if 18 by the general.
• Board of Elections outreach to DC high schools and campuses.
• From age 16, students can be paid poll workers. 

• LWV and other NGOs support high school registration.
• On-line National Youth Summit for middle and high school students at DC-based Smithsonian Institution.
• Successful high school voter registration:
  • 100% eligible students and their teachers registered at Thurgood Marshall Academy.
  • National Honor Society engaged in voter registration at Richard Wright PCS.

College and University initiatives

• Four DC campuses participated in the 2022 ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.
• In 2020, 93.4% of eligible Georgetown University students registered and 79.4% voted. Students xxx
• Because of large out of state student bodies, several campuses partnered with TurboVote to facilitate voting in home states.
• Blackgirlsvote.com has an active DC chapter on the Howard University campus.
• 2022 NSLVE data will be available November 2023.
• WASHINGTON, DC CAMPUS VOTER GUIDE

OTHER INFLUENCES

• Voters 18-29 represent 27.1% of the electorate – the highest proportion in the US (tied with Utah). 
• Lack of statehood status and full Congressional representation may decrease interest in elections.