How does your state compare to others when it comes to Millennial voters?

With more than 45 million voters between the ages of 18-29, the "youth vote" will again receive significant attention in the upcoming election cycle. But, are these voters being excluded from the democratic process? According to a new study from Rock the Vote, they just might be. Between outdated voter registration practices and other obstacles like difficulties casting ballots in many states, these barriers underscore the country's need to better prepare the next generation as a whole for active citizenship.

The study titled “Rock the Vote Voting System Scorecard,” was released earlier in June and measured state laws and policies in three key areas: voter registration, casting a ballot and young voter preparation. Survey organizers scored states on a 21-point scale and then ranked them based on their overall voting experience—serving as the first national benchmark that measures states’ laws and policies in these areas. The survey findings revealed that, “the average national score is only 41% (8.6 points out of 21 total) with Washington state ranking highest at 68% and South Carolina and Virginia at 18% performing at the bottom of our list. Only 15 states scored above 50%.”

Survey Findings

The Voting System Scorecard evaluated states in these three policy areas and identified the most significant obstacles:

• Voter Registration: According to the Scorecard, the “single greatest barrier to participation for young people” is voter registration. In fact, citizens ages 18 to 24 have the lowest rates of registration amongst all segments of the population. In the United States, voter registration remains a relatively cumbersome paper-based process that is often an unfamiliar process for first-time registrants.
• Casting a Ballot: There are several obstacles that impede Millennial voters from actually voting in elections once they have registered, including: lawmakers who believe that young voters should face more restrictions; voter identification inconsistencies; strict absentee voting laws; and military and overseas voting inefficiencies.
• Young Voter Preparation: The third category of the Voting System Scorecard is young voter preparation. The survey found that opportunities to learn about politics and government in schools are increasingly rare, and programs to register newly eligible high school students to vote are not widespread. Those who do not become engaged may find themselves “increasingly frustrated and disengaged from this country’s democratic system.”

Survey Recommendations

Overall, the survey revealed that “young Americans are frustrated with a voter registration system that is inefficient, inconvenient and wasteful.” This was reflected in the results where high-scoring states that had the best overall voting experience, for the most part, offered either Same Day Registration or online registration. Conversely, the organizers found that many of the states that did not score well lacked many of these more popular voting tools to facilitate engagement opportunities and a positive voter experience.

Addressing these tools/obstacles may hold the key to changing how the next generation takes to the polls. As the Millennial generation voters continue to establish their power at the polls, Rock the Vote continues to register and educate voters. In 2011, Rock the Vote is leading the charge toward making our electoral process more accessible to young people through our high school civics program, by rallying young people to stop unfair registration laws and push more modern approaches, and educating prospective 2012 candidates on how to incorporate young people in their campaigns.

What else can states, organizations and Millennials themselves do to empower themselves when it comes to voting at the polls? Are there other obstacles that you think need to be addressed?

• Check out some more information at these links:
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/RockTheVote
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rockthevote
• Read the full report here
• Send the report to your elected officials
   

This post was authored by Fiona Hoehn and Rachel White, interns of the Case Foundation.