"Surge in Voter Registrations, Driven by Young Adults"

 

Voter Registration Hits Record Highs as Election Day Nears, Led by Youth and First-Time Voters

On National Voter Registration Day, over 150,000 individuals registered to vote via Vote.org, the highest number ever recorded on that day by the organization. Last year, Vote.org registered a total of 279,400 voters, highlighting this year’s surge in voter interest.

Pop star Taylor Swift also played a significant role, driving more than 400,000 people to their state voter registration websites through a link shared on her Instagram. Although Swift has voiced her support for Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, voters registering through Vote.org are not required to declare party affiliation, and neither the organization nor Swift tracks registrants by political party. According to Vote.org, about 80% of those who register through the platform cast their ballots in the next election.

A substantial portion of these new voters are young, with many voting for the first time. On this year's National Voter Registration Day, 81% of registrants were under 35, with an especially sharp rise among 18-year-olds, who made up 11% of all registrations—53% higher than four years ago.

“We’re seeing a surge in 18-year-olds registering to vote,” said Andrea Hailey, CEO of Vote.org. “This generation is stepping up, and we’re committed to getting them engaged in the democratic process.”

Efforts to boost voter registration don’t stop there. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, announced a new initiative allowing individuals filling out applications for health insurance on HealthCare.gov to receive voter registration information, making the process easier for low-income and younger individuals. “The health of our democracy depends on Americans registering and exercising their right to vote,” Warren said, calling the measure a key step toward protecting voting rights.

Others are finding creative ways to engage young voters. Ezra Gershanok, co-founder of the NYC apartment subletting company Ohana, has been distributing flyers with humorous memes and QR codes directing people to voter registration sites. His goal is to reach young professionals new to the city—many of whom have not yet registered. "We’re trying to make an impact by getting our users to register to vote," Gershanok said, noting that their website traffic has spiked, attracting many recent graduates.

These innovative approaches, paired with an enthusiastic response from young voters, are shaping what could be a historic election season.