Impact on 2022
The 2022 YESI ranks the Senate and Governor races in which youth can have a decisive impact on 2022 election results.
Youth Voices and Votes are Critical to Elections
CIRCLE’s 2022 Youth Electoral Significance Index quantifies young people's potential for electoral impact and, critically, to serve as a tool for stakeholders to direct their efforts and resources to reach diverse communities of youth across the country.
CIRCLE at 20
Read our 20th anniversary report and consider how you can partner with us for the work ahead.
A Chronicle of Our Impact and Future Roadmap
2021 marked CIRCLE's 20th anniversary. We produced a report to document our impact over the past two decades and to highlight how we'll address the challenges of preparing all youth for democratic participation in the years to come.
New Endowment
This generous gift will allow us to expand our work, deepen our impact, and respond to the ever-evolving needs of our democracy.
Newhouse Foundation Endows CIRCLE Directorship
The Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation has made a $1.5 million gift to endow the directorship of CIRCLE, a major gift that will ensure CIRCLE continues to play a leading role in efforts to strengthen a representative, multiracial democracy.
K-12 Civics
CIRCLE Director Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg served as principal investigator of this effort to transform civic education in America.
Educating for American Democracy
Preparing all young people to be engaged and effective participants in their communities and in democracy requires more than just reinvesting in civic education: it requires reshaping it to meet the needs of a diverse 21st century student body.
2020 Election
We're sharing comprehensive data and analyses on young people's participation and influence on the 2020 election.
Youth Voting in 2020
The 2020 election cycle was unprecedented: young people coped with a pandemic, took to the streets, and cast early ballots in record numbers. Our in-depth analyses of youth participating we're providing data and insights on their engagement and impact at every level in the 2020 election.
Latest Research
Major National Issues Like Abortion May Spur Youth Mobilization
Young women, especially youth of color, could play an even larger role in the 2022 midterm elections.
Strong Potential for Youth Impact in 2022 House Races
CIRCLE’s Youth Electoral Significance Index rankings highlight that young voters can decide congressional elections all across the country.
Youth Concern About Climate Change Drives Civic Engagement
Our research shows that the environment and climate change is a top issue for young people and presents opportunities for broader youth outreach.
The Impact of Voting Laws on Youth Turnout and Registration
Research suggests that policies like online, automatic, and pre-registration can increase youth voter participation, especially where there is effective and equitable implementation.
Update: Youth Voter Turnout in 2021 New Jersey and Virginia Elections
We estimate that 20% of youth voted in New Jersey and 27% in Virginia, in both cases comparable to participation in previous gubernatorial elections.
CIRCLE in the News
The Youth Vote May Matter More in Pa., Ga. Midterms Than Anywhere Else
NBCLX
“In places like Pennsylvania and Georgia and Arizona, we see that the strength of support from young people of color, in particular, can be enormously powerful on the state level,” said CIRCLE Deputy Director Abby Kiesa
Biden administration pushes colleges to educate next generation of voters
ABC News
Youth voter participation is generally trending upward, with 50% of young people ages 18-29 voting in the 2020 presidential election. That was likely one of the highest rates of youth electoral participation since the voting age was lowered to 18," according to CIRCLE.
Teens and Young Adults are Taking on Roles as Activists
VPM News
Twenty seven percent, compared with 5% in 2016, of young adults indicated that they had participated in street protests, and more than half responded that they had actively worked to encourage their peers to vote. Eighty three percent said that they believe young people have the power to change the country.