If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission.
If you’ve been voting for a while, you might be seeing a lot of messaging this time of year around making sure your voter registration is up-to-date. But if you’ve got an 18-year-old in your life, you have some more homework on your hands this election season. In the event that your kid isn’t already one of those politically-active Gen Z types, this task could be difficult. We’d like to give you a little help with that.
If your teenager is reluctant or apathetic about the upcoming election, you’re not alone. Young voter turnout is notoriously low if improving. Tufts estimated that 50 percent of young people ages 18-29 voted in the 2020 presidential election, which is a significant jump from just 39 percent in the 2016 presidential election.
“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,” John Holbein, assistant professor of public policy and education at the University of Virginia, wrote in the Conversation ahead of the 2020 presidential election. “Many told us that in their busy, hectic, and ever-changing schedules, voting often simply falls by the wayside.
“Simply put, many young people want to participate, care about what happens in the political arena, and plan to participate,” Holbein continued, “but they find doing so too big of a hassle to actually follow through on their good intentions.”
Holbein suggests that the easiest way to fix this problem is to make voter registration easier, which is happening in some states that have same-day voter registration. At the moment, however, we’ve got to get to help these kids register ASAP — before those laws can change.
Find an issue that motivates them
The youth-led gun-sense group Students Demand Action (an offshoot of Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action) has been holding voter registration drives and has resources for teens who want to hold their own drive.
Students Demand Action volunteer Alanna Miller, a then second-year student at Duke University, gave us a few tips on how she gets other young people to register ahead of the 2020 presidential election:
“When registering other young voters, I remind them that our generation has grown up in the midst of our country’s gun-violence crisis,” she told SheKnows via email. “And of course, now, the recent police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and the shooting of Jacob Blake and so many others have added even more urgency to conversations around police violence as part of gun violence, and their disproportionate impact on Black people in America. Young people are eager to elect leaders who will do something about gun violence and police violence.”
The key to her approach is explaining that the youth vote can really make a difference if they turn out.
“Young voters who are motivated to end gun violence in America should know that there is room for change … ” she said. “Gun violence prevention consistently ranks as a top issue for young voters, so we know if young voters get registered, and turn out to vote, we can be a huge force … “
Find out what issues are really important to your teen, and then do the research together on what elected officials have said about it. They may have taken in rhetoric about politicians not caring and everyone being “the same,” but it’s up to you to talk about how that’s not the case. Look at local politics and laws that have been passed that directly impact your lives and discuss how your city, state, and U.S. representatives have acted — or haven’t — in your interest. Then look at a ballot and see how the people running this year might change that or might be inclined to listen once they’re in office.
Physically help them register
As Holbein wrote, many people feel like registering to vote is a huge headache, and it really doesn’t have to be. Head over to RocktheVote.org or Vote.org for multiple ways to register. Help them gather the information they’ll need for your state like their social security number, driver’s license, or ID number. You may be able to do everything online, but if something needs to be printed and mailed, you should have that prepared too. Anything you can do to smooth the way for them is great, and this is one time when no one will mind you helping a teen with their homework — just so long as they choose their own party affiliation (if any) and sign their names themselves.
Get Them Some Voting Swag
Some sweet voting merch from places like Etsy and UncommonGoods could be exactly what your teen needs to get in the patriotic spirit, register to vote, and then actually show up to the polls.
Do it on time
Voter registration deadlines vary by state and by each registration method. For instance, some states have different deadlines for voters who are registering in person versus online or by mail. Some states offer day-of registration, but make sure you have all your papers in order if your young voter plans to register at the polls on Nov. 5.
Prepare the next round of voters
Parenting expert and psychologist Reena B. Patel has a few tips for how to raise voters from a very young age. First, you need to be a role model by voting yourself and talking about who you’re voting for and why. Then talk about politics on a large and small scale.
“Talk with your child about how you handle disagreements in your home,” she said. “Politics can get heated, and it is important to let your child know that at the end of the day we come together for a bigger cause.”
And if the adults in our government can’t also figure out that particular lesson, we can vote them out!
Leave a Comment