New York State Is Improving High School Voter Registration, and The Civics Center Is Taking it Even Further

New York is on the path to increasing high school voter registration dramatically, but more work is needed to ensure 250,000 high school seniors are registered before they graduate.

The number of teens preregistered in New York State has increased 11.4% in just one year, from 81,792 in February 2023 to 91,089 in February 2024. But despite that increase, fewer than 20% of the state’s age-eligible teens are preregistered. 

Increases like that don’t happen because of TikTok or one-off celebrity activations. They happen because of people who are committed to the idea that our democracy is stronger when everyone has a voice. They happen because of people with different networks and capacities getting involved and putting their resources to work. 

An opportunity exists to help the nearly 250,000 graduating seniors in New York State register to vote before they leave high school, so they will be ready to make their voices heard in November. 

The Civics Center, with the University of Albany, is offering a free 1-hour training to New York State educators on May 16. Educators will earn Continuing Teacher & Leader Education (CTLE) credit and learn how to anchor student-led / adult-supported voter registration drives in their high schools. Educators have already started signing up, but we need your help to reach more.

If you live in New York or know someone who does (i.e., probably everyone reading this), you can use your networks to help. Please forward this message to a high school educator in New York (or to someone you’re connected with who is one degree of separation closer) with a short note encouraging them to sign up. 

With one email to a trusted friend, you can help hundreds of high school students register to vote. You’ll be part of a movement to increase youth voting in New York and across the country. 

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Here are some examples of critical steps New York has taken, which we hope every state will soon emulate:

• The New York Legislature and Governor changed state law to allow preregistration at age 16 and to require school boards to create pro-voter registration policies.

• The New York State Board of Regents adopted a Seal of Civic Engagement program.

• Administrative agencies have launched online voter registration systems that allow voter registration outside of DMV transactions, a major step given the enormous number of youth in the state, and particularly in NYC who do not drive.

• Professional associations (including New York City Bar Association leading the way) have published guidance for school boards and school communities on how to implement the state’s preregistration law and other requirements. 

• A new state law, S1733, is set to go into effect on July 1. By that time, all local boards of education, boards of cooperative educational services, charter schools, and non public schools are required to have adopted policies to promote student voter registration and preregistration. 

The Civics Center has published data, research, and analysis, and launched and expanded training programs for students and educators. We have developed campaigns with actionable, school-appropriate materials to raise awareness and increase school capacity and promote civic engagement and voting among youth and educators.

That’s how democracy is supposed to work: all systems firing to ensure every American is welcomed to make their voices heard.