Young Voters Respond to the Reintroduction of the Youth Voting Rights Act

In response to the United States House of Representatives reintroducing the Youth Voting Rights Act, NextGen America President Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez released the following statement:

“Young people across the country are excited to see the reintroduction of the Youth Voting Rights Act, alongside a suite of democracy and voting rights bills, that will expand youth access to voting, build a more representative democracy, and provide comprehensive legislation to enforce the 26th Amendment.

“Every eligible voter should have access to the ballot box, but right now, young people face too many barriers that hinder our participation in democracy. The largest, most diverse generation in American history needs to have their voices heard. We have seen time and time again that state legislatures will do anything to undermine young people’s right to vote, and that’s why this bill is so critical. This legislation makes immense progress in our fight for a country that represents the interests of young people.

“This bill will expand young people’s access to voting by increasing voter registration and ballot opportunities on campuses, require every state to allow pre-registration beginning at age 16, and create a grant program for youth participation in elections. In order to foster our democracy and create a future that truly represents the will of the people, it is essential that we fight and pass this legislation to build pathways for young people to join our political process and exercise their basic civil power to vote.”

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About NextGen America

NextGen America is the leading national organization for engaging young people through voter education, registration and mobilization. We invite 18-to-35 year olds — the largest and most diverse generation in American history — into our democracy to ensure our government works for them and to find new solutions to the dire challenges facing our society and the world. Since 2013, NextGen America has registered more than 1.3 million young voters and contacted 9.6 million young eligible voters during the historic 2022 midterm elections.