It’s no secret that young voters have a major impact in North Carolina elections. My organization, You Can Vote, aims to increase youth voter engagement because we know that voting habits established soon after reaching eligibility persevere for decades. Educating and mobilizing students, therefore, is an effective strategy to establish a generation of lifelong voters.
In our work, we constantly run up against the narrative that young people are disengaged. It’s time to put an end to the myth of voter apathy!
The young people we interact with have deeply held values and beliefs. Data from the American National Election Study supports this, showing that over 75% of young people were interested in elections. On average, however, 32% of 18-29-year-old voters intended to vote, but did not turn out, compared to only 15.2% of voters over 60.
As it’s likely their first time voting, we can’t assume young voters are familiar with the basics such as who is eligible to vote, the different rules for early voting and Election Day, who’s running for office, and how the offices on their ballot impact their day-to-day lives. Newly eligible voters need localized, fact-based education to bridge these gaps.
We also know that the easiest way to ensure students can successfully vote is to help them register and vote where they reside on Election Day. North Carolina allows students to register using their on-campus address. That means students can vote at the early voting or Election Day polling place closest to their campus, making it easier for them to get to the polls. Students who have moved need to update their registration address, however, even if it’s in the same county.
You Can Vote has created a convenient online guide to help students get registered on campus, with information about how to fill out the voter registration form using their on-campus address, where to go for early voting, and more. Visit our Campus Voting Guide to access the guide today.
This blog was previously published as an op-ed in NC Newsline.
