Four million Americans will turn 18 this year. Why aren’t we registering them to vote? | Laura W Brill
Summary
About 4 million Americans will turn 18 in 2026, but less than one-third are expected to be registered to vote by the November elections. Many young people face barriers to voter registration, such as lack of driver’s licenses or state IDs, and voter registration is not fully integrated into the education system.Key Facts
- Fewer than 30% of 18-year-olds are registered to vote during midterm election years, compared to nearly 75% of people aged 45 and older.
- Registered 18-year-olds often vote at rates similar to older voters, with over 80% turnout in states like Pennsylvania.
- The 1993 “Motor Voter” law connects voter registration mostly to state Departments of Motor Vehicles (DMVs), but fewer teens are getting driver's licenses.
- Only 44% of 17-year-olds and 60% of 18-year-olds have driver’s licenses, limiting their DMV contact and voter registration opportunities.
- 29 states require a driver’s license or state ID to register online, which blocks many teens and adults without these IDs from registering conveniently.
- High schools could be used as places to register young people to vote before graduation, but only three states officially treat schools as voter registration agencies.
- Some states, like Oregon and Michigan, have much higher youth voter registration rates, showing that improvements are possible.
- States with low youth registration include Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut, and Alabama, despite these states receiving much election coverage.
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