More Youth Registered to Vote In July 2026 than the Last Midterm Election
Authors: Alberto Medina, Yanlin Ren
Contributors: Sara Suzuki, Sam Searles
There are 1% more young people registered to vote in the 2026 midterms than there were in 2022, a small positive sign about youth engagement ahead of the November election.
These estimates of changes in youth voter registration are based on a CIRCLE analysis of voter file data as of July 1, 2026. We compare the number of young people, ages 18-29, currently registered to vote to the same period in 2022—the most recent midterm election. We include data for 42 states for which reliable data by age is available.
While the overall trend shows a very small increase, there are notable and troubling differences in voter registration changes by race/ethnicity. Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) youth, who make up 5% of the voting-eligible youth population, have increased their voter registrations by 18%. Latino youth, who make up 22% of the potential youth electorate, have experienced a 6% increase. The number of white youth registered to vote increased 1%, but the number of young Black registrants has decreased by 10%. While there is still plenty of time to close that gap, it will take intentional efforts by organizations and campaigns to reach Black youth and support their voter registration.
Major Differences by State
Twenty-five out of the 42 states for which we have data have more youth registered to vote now than in 2022. Most of those states have experienced relatively modest increases, with much larger surges in Utah (+27%), Minnesota (+19%), New Mexico (+16%), and Nevada (+14%).
While states like Minnesota and Nevada have historically had above-average voter turnout and have strong policy frameworks to support youth voter registration, the increase in a state like New Mexico is especially notable. The state usually has one of the lowest youth voter turnout rates in the country, but since introducing automatic voter registration in July 2025, registrations have been increasing.
At the other end of the spectrum, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Maine, and Tennessee are lagging farthest behind their 2022 youth voter registration numbers—with double-digit decreases compared to the past midterms. Most of these states have had below-average youth voter turnout in recent elections. Maine’s inclusion among this group is noteworthy, both because the state usually has high youth voter turnout and because it has highly competitive 2026 elections where young people can have a decisive impact.
Registration of Newly Eligible Voters Is Lagging
The data among youth ages 18-19, who are newly eligible voters since the last general election, tells a slightly different story. Nationally, there are 2% fewer youth in this age group registered to vote now than in 2022. Historically, the registration and voting rates of this youngest group are lower, and they require more targeted outreach and support.
The trend by race/ethnicity is also different among youth ages 18-19. Voter registration is lower for every group: -2% for Asian youth, -6% for both Black and white youth, and -11% for Latino youth.
For the ages 18-19 age group, we have reliable data on a more limited number of states: 25. Among those states, 15 have more youth registered to vote now than in 2022. Because this is a much smaller age group, the percentage-change increases or decreases can be more dramatic—especially in states with smaller populations. There are major increases in states like Montana (+65%), West Virginia (+45%), Arkansas (+39%), and Oklahoma (+30%).
However, we also find large increases in more populous states like Virginia (+63%), Washington (+58%), Pennsylvania (+40%), Ohio (+36%), Florida (+32%), and New York (+29%). That is a positive development—especially for states like Ohio and Florida that tend to have below-average youth turnout.
On the other hand, major decreases in other populous states are concerning and drive our national estimate into the negative. Massachusetts (-91%), Indiana (-57%), Texas (-47%), and New Jersey (-30%) all have significantly fewer 18- and 19-year-olds registered to vote than in 2022. In these and other states, there is major work to do by organizations that want to tap into the electoral power of the 8 million youth in that age group who could vote in 2026.
Explore the data for both the 18-19 and 18-29 age groups below.
About the data: This analysis reports on the percentage change in youth voter registration—not the voter registration rate. For example, if there were 5,000 young people registered in the previous midterm cycle, and there are 6,000 now, we would report that as a 20% increase. The data captures and compares two snapshots in time: in this case, July 2022 and July 2026. It is dependent on when each state updates its voter files, which can vary widely by state.
CIRCLE will continue to track youth voter registration throughout the election cycle and update this analysis later this summer as new data becomes available.
