WASHINGTON — On the anniversary of the ratification of the 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age to 18-years-old, Fair Elections Center, NextGen America, and the Alliance for Youth Action, issued a joint statement sounding the alarm around renewed attacks on young voters.
More than five decades after 18‑ to 21‑year‑olds won the constitutional right to cast a ballot, students on campuses across the country are facing new barriers to registering and voting—from strict voter ID laws to college polling locations shutting down.
As the nation’s powerhouses of campus voter registration, election protection, and voter mobilization, these national leaders hear from young people every day about the issues they are motivated to turn out and vote for—and the barriers they face in casting that ballot.
“For so many young people, this is their very first time voting. It’s already a confusing process—and now some states seem hellbent on making it even harder for them to participate. It’s the exact opposite of what we should be doing, which is ensuring that future generations are active participants in our democracy. Yet when you throw up new barriers, you’re effectively telling young people that their voices don’t matter and the issues they care about don’t matter,” said Rebekah Caruthers, President and CEO of Fair Elections Center. “What we’re seeing now is not normal. From the gutting of the Voting Rights Act to a federal government increasingly hostile to the freedom to vote, the institutions meant to enforce voting rights are instead creating a chilling effect designed to make people afraid to cast a ballot. Young voters deserve better, and that’s why Fair Elections Center will continue to defend their rights on college campuses and in the courts.”
“The 26th Amendment wasn’t a gift; it was a hard-won victory by young organizers who refused to be sidelined. It was won because young people didn’t wait for permission to be heard — they organized until the country had no choice but to listen,” said Selasi, Tagbor Morales, Communications Manager, Alliance for Youth Action. “As we celebrate this anniversary, anti-democratic politicians are working overtime to suppress the youth vote because they know that when young people participate, their grip on power is threatened. The Alliance is proud to stand alongside our partners to continue this legacy, mobilizing an unapologetic youth movement that is fighting back to dismantle these barriers, defend our right to vote, and build a democracy that actually works for all of us.”
“Fifty-five years ago, this country decided young people could have a say in their own future. Now, the Trump Administration is trying to take that back,” said Arianna Jones, Executive Director, NextGen America. “Young people inherit every decision this country makes, whether they’re in the room or not. So it’s not radical that they want a say. It’s the bare minimum. Instead, we’re seeing a coordinated effort to make sure they don’t get one, especially young Black and Brown voters. Young people deserve more than that. They want an economy that works, a government that’s honest, a democracy that delivers. Young people want politicians that are actually accountable to them. Thankfully, true to form, students aren’t waiting. They’re organizing. For their peers, for their communities, for their voices to be heard. We are proud to stand alongside our partners to empower young people to do just that.”
Resources
- Rebekah testified on Capitol Hill in April about the barriers young people face when trying to vote. You can read her full testimony here and listen to her testimony here.
- NextGen America recently conducted youth focus groups with self-identified swing voters ages 21-25. You can read the entire summary here. NextGen America’s Pulse Check campaign asked young people via text to see their top issues. In both projects, government corruption and rising fascism are named as a top concern. You can read the full Pulse Check results here.
If you’d like to speak with spokespeople from any of these youth organizations, please reach out to erika@newheightscommunications.com.
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Fair Elections Center is a national, nonpartisan voting rights and election reform organization that defends, expands, and facilitates voting rights.
The Alliance for Youth Action grows progressive people power across America by empowering local young people’s organizations to strengthen our democracy, fix our economy, and correct injustices through on-the-ground organizing.
NextGen America is a nationwide organization with a mission to educate and empower young people to organize, vote, and lead.