Some states have made registering to vote and casting a ballot easier in recent years, while others have implemented new restrictive policies

Young people tend to mail or drop off their ballots later than older voters, which may present challenges in states with less forgiving deadlines.

Efforts to restrict voting by mail or dropping off a ballot may undermine the engagement of a rising electoral force.

Our 2020 post-election youth poll showed that young Asian Americans were especially concerned about racial injustice and the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

In every state we're tracking, the youth share of the early vote is higher than in 2016, and in eight states youth have already cast more votes than the 2016 presidential margin of victory.

Less than 10% of young Black voters cast ballots by mail in 2016, and Black youth in our survey were more likely to say they had not seen information on mail-in voting.

A CIRCLE survey of young people shows that youth engagement is higher than in 2016 and 2018, but access to information about registration and voting in an election during the pandemic may be an issue.

Our analysis of which youth voted by mail in 2012 and 2016, how they did it, and why, can offer insights to those looking to expand the practice in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.