See Democracy in Action: Allegheny County High Schools Conduct Voter Registration Drives This Week

October 16, 2024 at 15:54 PM EDT

Roughly 81,400 18-year-olds in Pennsylvania are not yet registered. The margin of victory in PA in the 2020 presidential election was just 81,660 votes.

The Civics Center:

WHAT/WHY: According to non-profit, nonpartisan The Civics Center, High School students are registered to vote at much lower rates than older Americans but, when registered, turn out at high rates. Michigan has 81% of 18-year-olds registered to vote now; just 48% of 18-year-olds in Pennsylvania are registered (as of 9/30). Pennsylvania voter registration closes October 21^st. See PA youth voter data HERE.

Thursday, October 17^thCAPA - 11 AM - 12 PM, 111 9th St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

City Charter 12:30 PM, 201 Stanwix St Suite 100, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Sci Tech 11 AM, 107 Thackeray Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Upper St. Clair (Time TBA) 1825 McLaughlin Run Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15241

WHO:

: Student Voter Registration Drive Organizers

: Laura W. Brill, Founder/CEO of The Civics Center, the national, nonpartisan organization that helps students across the country lead high school voter registration drives. Ms. Brill is a former law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Opportunity: Four million young people turn 18 every year. In states with competitive elections, the number of youth who turn 18 between election cycles dwarfs the margins of victory. We estimate that only 30% of 18-year-olds are registered to vote. 70% of Americans live in states where they can preregister as early as 16 or 17, making high schools the time and place to get it done.

College VR programs and registration at the DMV are not enough: About 40% of high school students do not go on to college. According to the National Highway Administration, about 40% of US 18-year-olds do not have a driver's license.

About The Civics Center: We create and provide free resources for high school students and teachers to bring the activity to their schools, with the goal of embedding it as an ongoing activity. The structure, support, and recurring educational cycle make high schools the most efficient, equitable and scalable system we have for getting young people registered to vote. See HERE for short video on the importance of high school voter registration engagement. The Civics Center is a project of Community Partners (501c3).