Congressional Seats Are Already Opening, Meanwhile Every Year, in Every District, 10,000 Americans Turn 18 and Become Eligible to Vote
Help Us Welcome Young People Into Our Democracy and Show Them How Powerful Their Voices Can Be
Last Friday, U.S. House member, Nebraska Republican Don Bacon announced he will not be running for reelection in 2026. In North Carolina, Thom Tillis has just announced that he will not seek reelection to the U.S. Senate in 2026.
How much of an impact could 18-year-olds have on these races? If we welcome them into our democracy consistently, every day, as soon as they become eligible, can 8 million new voters make a difference in the midterms?
Nebraska
According to the U.S. Census Report, 28,838 people turn 18 every year in Nebraska, and about 9,875 in the Second Congressional District. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 52% of Nebraska youth ages 18-24 were registered to vote in the 2024 presidential election. That compares to 58% nationally. Among the 18- to 24-year-old who were registered, 78% reported voting in Nebraska, compared to 82% nationwide.
In 2022, the last midterm election, only 38% of 18- to 24-year-olds in Nebraska were registered.
In Nebraska, young people can register to vote if they will be 18 by each election day in November, with the end point starting over every year. That means virtually everyone who just graduated from high school is old enough to register to vote right now. It also means that virtually everyone who will be a high school senior and about 20% of next year’s junior class will be old enough to register to vote before the 2026 election.
All together, we estimate that roughly 20,000 students in Nebraska’s second congressional district who either just graduated from high school or who will be juniors or seniors next year are unregistered but will be old enough to vote in the midterms if they register before the October 16, 2026 deadline (third Friday before Election Day). In 2024, Bacon defeated Democrat Vargas by just 5,829 votes.
Cook Political Report identifies the district as a toss up for 2026.
North Carolina
In North Carolina, 143,000 young people turn 18 every year.
In 2024, only 61% of 18- to 24-year-olds in North Carolina were registered to vote, and among those registered, 85% turned out.
In the 2022 midterms, only 43% of 18- to 24-year-olds in North Carolina were registered.
North Carolina allows young people to preregister to vote starting at age 16. Between the class that just graduated and next year’s juniors and seniors, more than 400,00 North Carolina high school students are old enough to register right now. More than 300,000 of them will be old enough to vote in the midterms. In 2020, Tillis beat Democrat Cal Cunningham by 95,633 votes.
So, what about high school students? What role can they have? What can they do to make voter registration a routine part of high school life so they can have a voice in elections like these?
Imagine every high school in North Carolina and Nebraska’s second congressional district kicking off the 2025-2026 school year with a commitment to help all high school students register to vote before they graduate. Imagine clubs and teams taking the lead and, with the help of supportive faculty members, getting all their members registered. Imagine high school graduation season in 2026 with one newly registered voter after another stepping into their future and a commitment to a stronger democracy.
Nebraska and North Carolina both offer online voter registration. The online systems require users to have a driver’s license or state ID. Eligible voters who do not have one of these forms of ID can print and fill out a paper form.
The Civics Center offers training and resources to high school students and educators who want to learn how to run a voter registration drive in their high school. Check out our upcoming Run-A-Drive workshops here.
Both states allow youth who are not yet 18 to serve as poll workers.
The Fair Elections Center publishes a helpful guide to running voter registration drives in Nebraska and North Carolina.
Nonprofit organizations can arrange for a 1:1 conversation to learn about creating a dedicated training opportunity for students and educators in the communities they serve.
And for donors who want to make our democracy stronger and help young people have a voice, the time to fund outreach and training efforts that can help us reach high school students in Nebraska and across the country is now.
Please consider a donation to support our efforts:
Over 90% of U.S. adults aged 18–29 own a smartphone, and yet there is no app for them to organize and manage their vote. There are a few apps out there that will remind people when and where to vote, but that is not enough information to capture people's attention. We need to do much more...