A close look at the reasons why some youth didn’t register, or registered but didn’t vote, suggests needed improvements in electoral administration and outreach.
Campaign contact, digital outreach, young people engaging their peers, and action on racial justice all contributed to higher youth voter turnout.
Youth electoral participation in 2020 was high and could be even higher if we support young people, who have varied priorities for the new administration.
The full report of our study of civic education in the Commonwealth highlights challenges and recommendations for more inclusive and equitable K-12 civics.
The data suggests outreach to young Black voters worked, and their overwhelming preference for the Democratic candidates may have been decisive.
The runoff elections for both Georgia seats will determine control of the Senate, and mobilizing Black youth in the state may be a decisive factor.
Campaigns are leaving millions of votes on the table by not engaging young people, who often face challenges to electoral participation.
Read about CIRCLE's major evaluation of innovative K-12 civics policy and implementation in Illinois
We estimate that young people turned out at a higher rate in 2020 than in 2016, and their impact—especially youth of color's overwhelming support for Biden—was decisive in key races across the country.