Beyond Voting: What Else Youth Can Do in the 2024 Elections

By Sam Piha

The 2024 election offers a number of opportunities to engage older youth. These opportunities go beyond voting. (This blog is an excerpt from our recently released briefing paper entitled, How Can Afterschool Programs Promote Civic Engagement and the Youth Vote in 2024.)

Serve as a Voting Captain
“This is someone who volunteers to get-out-the-vote by talking to their friends and family about making a voting plan. This is a quick, easy and covid-safe volunteer opportunity to get out the vote. Studies have shown that talking to friends and family is the most effective way to increase voter turnout.” [i]

Serve as a Political Campaign Volunteer
Supporting a campaign may involve an important issue or a candidate. Youth can:

• Volunteer on a local, state, or national political campaign
• Attend a campaign event with a family member
• Talk to those who are eligible to vote about your preferred candidates, what they stand for, and why it matters to you.

Serve as a Poll Worker
“Poll workers are critical to the success of an election. Having an adequate number of poll workers to staff polling places on and before Election Day can ensure voters receive the assistance they need at the polls and can help provide a positive and smooth voting experience for all. By signing up to be a poll worker, you can Help America Vote. 

Source: Grow the Vote

While specific duties and compensation vary depending on location, poll workers are the face of the election office during voting. Most jurisdictions task election workers with setting up and preparing the polling location, welcoming voters, verifying voter registrations, and issuing ballots. Poll workers also help ensure voters understand the voting process by demonstrating how to use voting equipment and explaining voting procedures.” [ii]

Click here to learn a few important steps poll workers can take to ensure they are ready for Election Day. Click here to learn more about becoming a poll worker in the future, for more information on being a poll worker in your community and how to sign up.

END NOTES
[i] Turnout Nation, Become a Voting Captain
[ii] U.S. Election Assistance Commission, Poll Worker Resources for Voters 

To learn more about this event, sponsored by the Ever Forward Club, click here.

Youth Vote 2024: Ways Youth Under 18 Can Contribute to Elections

Source: Center for Tech and Civic Life

By Sam Piha

The 2024 election offers a number of opportunities to engage older youth. But these opportunities require input from youth and staff, organizing and planning- so start program planning NOW!  

There is no better time for youth to be involved in making a change through the ballot box. We can frame these efforts as “meaningful participation”, “civic engagement”, “youth leadership” or “community service”. There are a number of organizations and initiatives that have designed curriculums, program tools and other materials to assist afterschool providers in their efforts to engage youth in the 2024 elections. This blog is an excerpt from our recently released briefing paper entitled, How Can Afterschool Programs Promote Civic Engagement and the Youth Vote in 2024.

“Our youth feel that their voice matters even if they cannot vote". - John Fuentes, Associate Director, Bay Area Community Resources (BACR)

“There are countless ways for young people under 18 to participate in democracy. These contributions can occur in a range of settings and have a wide-reaching influence. These ways of engaging are steps on a path to growing as a future voter and to help grow voters in your community.

Support Your Family & Friends' Participation

• Ask your friends and family if they are eligible and registered to vote, and if necessary bring them information to help them register. If they’re not eligible, ask them how they are going to participate
• Help friends and family find reliable information about the election, the candidates, and important issues that they care about
• Watch and discuss a local or national debate/forum with your family and friends
• Organize or support conversations at school about elections and voting
• Bring the Teaching for Democracy Alliance checklist or commitment to school leaders and work with them to make a plan to support student learning 

Uplift Stories & Issues You Care About

• Do research on an issue/policy you’re interested in to find reliable information on the candidates’ stance on the issue, and then share your viewpoint with those who can vote
• Factcheck your research and then create media (e.g. images, videos, music) about candidates or issues you’re interested in and share them with others
• Evaluate a range of news media coverage of the issues and candidates to understand how journalists are covering the election
• Contact local media outlets about the issues you care about and offer to share your opinions and insights
• Create media about the people and issues in a community that has few local media outlets or that you think hasn’t been portrayed accurately in election coverage
• Tell stories about how youth of all ages—especially those from communities of color—are engaging in the election and share it with news organizations and social media so that a wider diversity of young people are better represented

Be a Part of the Process

• Find out if you can work at the polls on Election Day—many states allow 16- and 17-year-olds to do it!
• Work with a local organization that is registering others to vote
• Design posters with key information about how, when and where to vote, and put them up at school and in your community
• Send your friends and family reminders of when and where to vote on Election Day—even drive them if they need a ride!” [i] 

Start A Discussion Group at School

“Political polarization is a dire problem in American high schools today. Crossing the Divide is a national high school club facilitating the conversations we desperately need.” They provide instructions and curriculum tools. [ii] 

Source: Center for Tech and Civic Life

Younger Kids

Fun activities can introduce younger kids to the idea of voting and to show them that voting is fun and important! To view, click here. [iii]

END NOTES

[i] CIRCLE, Growing Voters: 18 Ways Youth Under 18 Can Contribute to Elections

[ii] Crossing the Divide

[iii] Moms Rising- Crafts, activities, and ideas to celebrate voting with your kids

Lights on Afterschool Planning Tool

To learn more about this event, sponsored by the Ever Forward Club, click here.

Youth Vote 2024: Voter Registration

Source: The League of Women Voters

By Sam Piha

Did you know that in many states young people can pre-register to vote at the age of 16-17? Student organizers and adult volunteers work collaboratively with schools, organizations and events to coordinate voter registration drives that target high school and college students. To learn more about organizing voter registration drive, click here. You can also share a video by young people on voter registration drives by clicking on the image below. 

Source: Our Time is Now: CA Pre-Registration PSA  

Bring Voter Registration to Your High School

“High schools are the most efficient and equitable system we have for getting young people registered, particularly the 40% who do not attend college.” [i]

Source: Ed Week

Paper and online registration drives can occur during classes, lunch periods, school assemblies, school orientation days, school club days, marches, etc. After students register, they are challenged to recruit other youth to register and/or to organize new registration drives and are encouraged to vote in every election. To learn more and access a guide for organizing a registration drive, click here.”

“We registered 103 students in 2.5 hours at one high school with the help of a student League member who attends the school and a social studies teacher and his students.” [ii] - member of the League of Women Voters of Henderson County (NC) 

“The Civics Center is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that empowers high school students to hold peer-to-peer voter registration events in their high schools. When students invite their peers into the democratic process, they build civic engagement, develop leadership skills and strengthen our democracy. We are committed to nonpartisanship and an inclusive spirit of voter registration. We also prioritize collaboration with school faculty and administration as well as local election officials.” 

Here are the process students will use to organize a voter registration event in your school:

1. Attend a 45-minute online workshop held by The Civics Center which outlines the importance of youth voter registration, the process of planning an event in your school, and how to register to vote and help others to register in your state. Find a workshop for your state on our website.

2. Gather volunteers from a club, honors society, class, or group of friends. 

“I organized a registration drive at my school all by myself. It wasn’t the best time of the year due to AP testing, but I was able to register 99 of my classmates. I also volunteered at other schools’ registration drives. I think we need to get a lot of young adults voting because then if politicians want to be re-elected, they will have to advocate for our views.” [iii] – Michael, high school student  

3. Coordinate with the school administration to pick one or more dates, times, and locations to hold a voter registration event. Voter registration is usually conducted either with tables and clipboards during a lunch period, or through student-led presentations in a homeroom, advisory, or class period.

4. Register your school on The Civics Center’s website listing an estimated date for the planned event and the name and email of a faculty sponsor.

5. Receive a toolkit, Democracy in a Box, free from The Civics Center before the event. Democracy in a Box is a starter kit that includes pens, clipboards, stickers, posters, candy, and more supplies to help make your event as easy as possible and fun for participants. We ship Democracy in a Box to the designated faculty sponsor to promote effective collaboration within the school. 

6. Acquire voter registration forms. We go over this process in the webinar training; in many states, this is as simple as printing a PDF. In some states, it’s simpler to use online voter registration.

7. Hold the voter registration event on the selected date(s) using the materials in Democracy in a Box, and report back the number of registrations to The Civics Center via email. 

8. Return the completed voter registration forms to your local elections official within 2-3 days of the event.” [iv]

“We plan to host registration events, and possibly even parties; on election day, we plan to go with teens who are voting for the first time and to make a big deal of it (e.g., ‘It’s my first-time voting’ hats or sashes).” – Rebecca Fabiano, Executive Director, FAB Youth Philly

NOTE: After registration, a Get Out the Vote campaign can begin. Students are reminded about upcoming candidate forums and elections. Youth are also encouraged to create social events such as Flash Mob Voting (meeting at one location and marching to a post office with mail-in ballots) and election night watch parties.

END NOTES
[i] The Civics Center, Our Purpose
[ii] League of Women Voters, The League Empowers Teens Through Youth Voter Registration Programs
[iii] Youth Voter Movement, About the Movement
[iv] The Civics Center, Bringing Voter Registration to Your High School

Lights on Afterschool Planning Tool

Youth Vote 2024: Youth Voice

Source: Our Time is Now: CA Pre-Registration PSA

By Sam Piha

“I registered to vote because youth and women fought hard so people like me could vote. I want to use that privilege to help me make decisions that will make my country better for all. After mailing in my first ballot, I felt like an adult and I was proud that I fulfilled a giant responsibility that makes a difference.” [i] – Anthea, high school student 

What do young people say about voting and elections? Below are a few videos worth viewing and sharing with youth. Click on the images below to view some videos.



Source: Why Should Young People Vote?

“Why should young people vote? As we grapple with racial inequities, violence and a pandemic that has killed 215,000 Americans, this year's presidential election may be the most important in modern history. Many students say they're energized to vote, but will they? Fewer than half of those 18 to 29 voted in the 2016 presidential election…We asked two Boston University students involved in voter registration initiatives to talk about the importance of registering casting your ballot and staying politically involved beyond sporting an 'I voted' sticker. Here's what they had to say about why young people should vote.” [ii]

Source: Kids Voting in FHSD

The above story follows students at Saeger Middle School in the Francis Howell School District (FHSD) and shows how Mr. Van Horn prepares them for a future of choosing the leaders and policies that affect our daily lives.

Source:What would get young people to vote? These teens have some ideas

What would get young people to vote? These teens have some ideas. The News Hour Student Reporting Labs interviewed 300 young people to get the next generation’s take on why it is important to vote.

Source: PBS Learning Media

So, why don’t young people vote as much as older people? Find out in the latest Above the Noise episode.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! 

• What are you doing to promote youth engagement in the 2024 election? 
• Would you add any additional resources or comments that would be valuable to afterschool stakeholders? 

Email us at info@temescalassociates.com.

END NOTES
[i] Youth Voter Movement, About the Movement

[ii] Why Young People Should Vote

Youth Vote 2024: Benefits of Youth Civic Engagement

Source: www.urge.org

By Sam Piha

The 2024 election offers a number of opportunities to engage older youth. But these opportunities require input from youth and staff, organizing and planning- so start program planning NOW! This blog is an excerpt from our recently released briefing paper entitled, How Can Afterschool Programs Promote Civic Engagement and the Youth Vote in 2024.

Research and experience tell us that involving young people in civic engagement and activism activities brings benefits to youth participants. Benefits are also accrued by the organizational partners and the larger community, as well as adult program staff. 

“In economically distressed communities who are the targets of structural racism, we have seen how youth benefit from the opportunity to reflect critically on the world — to ask questions and denaturalize what feels like “normal” by visiting neighboring communities and imagine radical futures and the opportunity to generate solutions through policies or public narratives. These experiences contribute to a sense of agency and belonging that prepares young people to navigate the world with confidence and critical analysis; in some cases it can also offer a context for “healing” that involves personal and social transformation.” [i]

“Benefits of Civic Engagement and Activism for Youth Participants

• Helps them make new friends and contacts and increases their social and relationship skills
• Helps them build social capital
• Increases self-confidence and promotes a positive sense of agency and empowerment
• Combats depression and helps them stay physically healthy
• Supports healing from trauma
• Opportunities to serve others and give back to the community
• Prepares them for leadership roles
• Opens their minds to new ideas and people
• Fuels passion and purpose
• Teaches collaboration
• Brings fun and fulfillment to their lives
• The happiness effect: Helping others kindles happiness, as many studies have demonstrated
• Learn valuable job skills and can offer career experience
• Increases connection to the community
• More likely to remain civically engaged as adults.” [ii]

How is youth engagement in elections and voting good for the community? 
According to Chat GPT, “Youth engagement in elections and voting is beneficial for the community in several ways: 

1. Representation: When young people participate in elections, their voices and perspectives are represented in the political process. 
2. Policy Influence: Increased youth engagement can lead to the prioritization of issues that are important to young people, such as education, employment opportunities, climate change, and social justice. Elected officials are more likely to address these issues and implement policies that benefit young people when they see them actively participating in the electoral process.
3. Civic Education and Participation: Engaging in the electoral process encourages young people to become more informed about political issues and candidates. It also fosters a sense of civic responsibility and encourages them to take an active role in shaping the future of their communities and society as a whole.
4. Long-Term Impact: Encouraging youth engagement in elections establishes a habit of voting that can last a lifetime. Research has shown that individuals who vote in their first few elections are more likely to continue voting in subsequent elections throughout their lives. 
5. Social Cohesion: When different age groups within a community actively participate in elections and voting, it can promote social cohesion and a sense of unity. 
6. Accountability of Leaders: When young people participate in elections, they hold elected officials accountable for their actions and decisions.

Overall, youth engagement in elections and voting is essential for a healthy democracy and contributes to the overall well-being of the community by ensuring diverse representation, influencing policy decisions, fostering civic education and participation, and promoting accountability and social cohesion.” [iii] 

Source: Center for Tech and Civic Life

RESOURCES TO LEARN MORE
Below are some resources that may be useful. NOTE: This is not a comprehensive list, as there are many program resources on the topic, some of which are detailed in our paper, Youth Civic Engagement and Activism in Expanded Learning Programs. You can view previous LIAS blogs on this topic here. You can also view a recent recording of our webinar we conducted on this topic here.

ORGANIZATIONS THAT FOCUS ON YOUTH ENGAGEMENT IN ELECTIONS

• Youth Voter Movement
• When We All Vote
• 2024 My School Votes Ambassadors Program
• Rock the Vote
• The Civics Center
• Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE)
• Afterschool Alliance
• News Literacy Project
• The VOICE Project 
• Vote.org
• Next Gen America 
• Kids Voting USA
• Alliance for Youth Action
• Vote America
• Turnout Nation
• Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity
• Next Generation Politics

 

TOOLKITS AND OTHER RESOURCES

• Rock the Vote Democracy Class
• The Civics Center- Bringing Voter Registration to Your School
• Afterschool Alliance Election Toolkit
• Crossing the Divide- Conversations for a Brighter Future
• Center for Tech and Civic Life

 

ARTICLES/REPORTS

• Growing Voters: 18 Ways Youth Under 18 Can Contribute to Elections 
• The Civics Center- Bringing Voter Registration to your School
• Ed Week- Michelle Obama Wants to Train Teachers to Help Students Vote
• New York Times- Election 2020: 11 Ways to Engage Students from Now Until November

VIDEOS 

• Beyond the Broadcast: Covering the 2024 elections
• How Can We Get More Young People to Vote?
• Why Should Young People Vote?
• Countering the Top Excuses Young People Give for Not Voting
• "My Vote Will Count" - YelloPain ft. Sevyn Streeter
• Our Time is Now: CA Pre-Registration PSA
• What would get young people to vote? These teens have some ideas.
• Kids Voting at Manatee Bay Elementary
• Kids Voting in Francis Howell School District

END NOTES

[i] Sam Piha & Samantha Fasen, Youth Civic Engagement and Activism in Expanded Learning Programs

[ii] IBID.

[iii] Chat GPT, How is youth engagement in elections and voting good for the community?

UPCOMING WEBINAR:

The 2024 election offers a number of opportunities to engage older youth in civic engagement. But these opportunities require input from youth, organizing and planning- so start program planning early because there is no better time for youth to be involved in making a change than through the ballot box. We can frame these efforts as “meaningful participation”, “civic engagement”, “youth leadership” or “community service.”

This webinar will review the benefits of youth engagement in the elections and what programs can do to encourage youth involvement and voting. We will also talk about how to involve youth in voter registration and determine what news is reliable and which is misinformation. We will also talk about how youth who are under 18 and unable to vote can be involved.

To learn more and register, click here.

Youth Vote 2024: What Afterschool Programs Can Do

Source: Ed Week

By Sam Piha

 

There is no better time for youth to be involved in making a change through the ballot box. We can frame these efforts as “meaningful participation”, “civic engagement”, “youth leadership” or “community service”. There are a number of organizations and initiatives that have designed curriculums, program tools and other materials to assist afterschool providers in their efforts to engage youth in the 2024 elections. Below we cite several things that afterschool programs and their youth participants can do in regards to the 2024 election. (This blog is an excerpt from our recently released briefing paper entitled, How Can Afterschool Programs Promote Civic Engagement and the Youth Vote in 2024.)

Don’t Wait- Start Program Planning NOW!

When we spoke to afterschool practitioners in the winter of 2024 about when afterschool programs should begin planning engagement activities, they all responded “now!”

 

Involve Youth


“There are many ways youth can be involved and one of the ways that we support is to provide a space for youth to discuss the topics, issues and challenges they feel are important to them and their communities, then, discuss the possible solutions and who can support the possible solutions and resolutions. This includes local, state and national elected officials. It's important that students continue to explore local officials and the causes that are on top for them.” - John Fuentes, Associate Director, Bay Area Community Resources

 

It is important to involve youth when considering any new program initiatives, enlisting new partners or funders. Perhaps youth participants can:

• Provide input on the goals, strategies and activities
• Identify partners in the community that might be appropriate for engaging youth in the 2024 election
• Design and deliver thank you cards for any individuals and organizations that partner in any way
• Organize and lead related discussions and activities
• Get involved with issues that matter to them
• Ask teachers and school to grow voters
• Bring local politicians to their school or youth program

Address the Common Excuses Young People Cite for Not Voting

“Excuses, excuses! Young people find plenty of them not to vote. According to the Pew Research Center, of the roughly 138 million people who voted in the 2016 presidential election, only 13 percent were under the age of 30, while people over 65 accounted for 27 percent of the vote. What gives?” [i]

The video below examines common reasons that young people cite for not voting. Click on the image below to view this resource.

Source: Boston University

Address the Barriers to Voting for Youth Ages 18-29

There are many legitimate barriers to voting, as cited by youth. If we want to encourage youth to vote for the first time, it is essential that we understand the barriers to youth voting. See the graphic below.

 

Source: CIRCLE

 

Provide Voting Information 

A major barrier to voting is simply lack of information. According to CIRCLE, “Many young people are simply not taught about elections and voting in school; both the practicalities of registering and casting a ballot and the reasons why their voices and votes matter in democracy. Learn more. 

 

Voting in America is not a straightforward process. Registration deadlines and requirements are different in every state, voting may conflict with work and/or school, absentee voting rules can be confusing, voters may lack transportation to the polls, etc. Some of these barriers are especially acute for the youngest voters, who may struggle to update their voter registration when they move dorms each year in college, or who are less likely to have a driver's license to use as a voter ID. Learn more.



Because they're less likely to have a voting history or be seen as likely voters, many political organizations neglect youth outreach. In 2022, almost half of young people we surveyed (46%) said they were not contacted by any type of organization, candidate, or party. That can lead to a lack of information and confidence: 21% of youth in 2022 said it was because they didn't feel like they knew enough, and just 40% said they felt well-qualified to participate in politics. Learn more.” [ii]

 

Also,

• Research issues and candidates: sponsor forums and make voter guides/informational handouts
• Provide State-by-state information - Every state has different voting requirements. Click here to access a good State-by-state tool.
• Review the ballot with youth so they understand what’s on it and how to use it.
• Where to go to vote?

About Absentee Voting or Voting by Mail

“Absentee voting allows you to vote before Election Day by mail or drop box. Learn how to get an absentee ballot, cast your vote, and meet voting deadlines. Although every state has absentee voting, deadlines and rules on who can take part vary. In most states, you will need to request an absentee ballot to vote in each election. But in some states, you may qualify to receive absentee ballots permanently. Learn if you can vote absentee for every election in your state.

Get your absentee ballot from your state or territory. Visit Can I Vote and choose your state from the dropdown menu. It will take you right to your state's absentee voting page.

Your state may require you to have a valid excuse to vote absentee. Acceptable excuses vary by state.” [iii] 

 

Misinformation and News literacy

According to the News Literacy Project, “The 2024 election season will be among the most closely followed in American history, and as in past years, it also will attract a flood of mis- and disinformation. A new development this year is the rise of artificial intelligence technologies, which can create sophisticated fabrications and distortions that challenge our ability to identify what’s real and what’s not like never before.


The News Literacy Project is working to ensure that you know how to discern fact from fiction and can make well-informed voting decisions when you go to the polls.” [iv] 

The News Literacy Project has several tools and activities for youth to decern fact from disinformation. 

Preparing First Time Voters: Help Youth Create a Voting Plan

“Vote planning is a technique to ensure voters turnout to the polls. The goal of a vote plan is to encourage an individual to envision themselves voting and identify any potential barriers they might have or encounter. You can make a vote plan for yourself or with someone when phone banking, canvassing, or in normal conversation. Develop a vote plan by asking questions such as: 

• What time will you be voting? 
• Where are you voting? 
• Do you have a mail-in ballot or are you going to the polls? 
• How are you getting there? 
• Do you need a ride? 
• Who else can you bring with you? 
• Do you need to take off school or work or secure childcare? 
• In states with voter I.D. laws: Do you have all the necessary documents to vote?  

Answering these questions will help youth plan how to vote and ensure you and your community members are able to cast your ballots.” [v]

END NOTES

[i] Boston University, Countering the Top Excuses Young People Give for Not Voting

[ii] CIRCLE, Broadening Youth Voting

[iii] USA.gov, Absentee voting or voting by mail

[iv] News Literacy Project, Election 2024: Be informed, not misled

[v] National Council of Jewish Women, Create A Voting Plan

UPCOMING WEBINARS:

Almost every day there is a piece in the news about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its dangers. AI is all around us, and whether or not you realize it, people use artificial intelligence every single day. Many young people, even those who are very tech savvy, know little about this topic. Adults, including those in afterschool programs, know even less. Yet, AI is being used by companies more and more. As we venture deeper into the digital age, understanding AI and its educational potential becomes more crucial than ever.

We believe that youth need to understand more about AI, and afterschool is a perfect place to do this. But are afterschool leaders equipped for this? It’s important for educators to understand AI so they can help their youth make sense of a technological development that is predicted to be a huge force in the world, experts say. It’s crucial for educators to be AI literate, to be able to explain what it is, and to understand its powers and limitations.

To learn more and register, click here.

The 2024 election offers a number of opportunities to engage older youth in civic engagement. But these opportunities require input from youth, organizing and planning- so start program planning early because there is no better time for youth to be involved in making a change than through the ballot box. We can frame these efforts as “meaningful participation”, “civic engagement”, “youth leadership” or “community service.”

This webinar will review the benefits of youth engagement in the elections and what programs can do to encourage youth involvement and voting. We will also talk about how to involve youth in voter registration and determine what news is reliable and which is misinformation. We will also talk about how youth who are under 18 and unable to vote can be involved.

To learn more and register, click here.