Message from National NOW President Christian F. Nunes
November 17, 2023
Greetings Feminists,
I’ve always been a big believer in the power of our youth, and it fills me with joy to witness the ever-growing rates of voter turnout amongst young people in our nation. I want to dispel some myths around youth voting, such as the apathy amongst young people or declining rates of young people’s civic participation. Over the past decade, there has been an upward trend in the youth vote, with young people consistently showing up at the polls to make their voices heard.
Much work must be done to dismantle barriers to young people’s engagement in democracy. Youth voter turnout varies state by state, with Michigan leading the charge in high youth engagement in elections. It’s no surprise that Michigan also has online voter registration, same-day registration, and implemented automatic voter registration in 2019. In comparison, states with low youth voter turnout rates have extremely restrictive voting and registration policies.
In expanding voting access for young people, educational institutions can take concrete steps to ensure they have a “Voter Friendly Campus” for students. This includes creating comprehensive online voting guides with absentee ballot information, including voter registration information in welcome packets, and tabling during school and sports events. We have Campus Action Network (CAN) chapters across the country, and they are clubs on campuses that affiliate with NOW. Through CANs, different groups and clubs who work on NOW’s key issues can connect with others nationwide and receive the necessary support and resources from NOW. With an overarching goal of connecting young, intersectional feminists across the country, it’s instrumental in increasing youth voter engagement on high school and college campuses and is key to NOW’s mission to advancing voter equality. Like every vote, the youth vote matters and holds the power to make great change.
In solidarity,
Christian
