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Young voters are not a single audience, and getting them to vote requires more than publishing election information on social media. Campaigns need to find eligible young voters, contact them early, help them make a specific voting plan, and follow up when practical barriers appear.
That work matters. CIRCLE estimates that 47% of people ages 18-29 voted in the 2024 presidential election. Turnout remained historically strong, but it was lower than in 2020 and varied sharply across states and age groups.
This guide explains the barriers that keep young people from voting and the targeted outreach campaigns can use to increase youth voter turnout, building on the tactics covered in CallHub’s complete guide to GOTV.
What are the recent trends in young voter participation?
Three findings are especially useful for campaign planning:
- Youth turnout remains higher than it was a decade ago, but it is not guaranteed to rise every cycle.
- Education, race, income, geography, and access to voting continue to shape participation.
- Young voters differ widely in issue priorities, political identity, and contact history.
Recent youth turnout is strong but uneven
Young voters have participated at historically high rates in recent federal elections. CIRCLE estimates that 47% of voters ages 18-29 cast a ballot in 2024, compared with 50% in 2020 and 39% in 2016. Among newly eligible voters ages 18-19, estimated turnout was 41%.
The campaign lesson is simple: do not treat youth turnout as an automatic trend. Build a defined young voter universe, identify the barriers facing each segment, and maintain contact through registration, early voting, and election day.
Education and other demographic factors affect youth voter turnout.
Factors such as education, race, ethnicity, and income group affect voter turnout among first-time voters.
Studies suggest that Hispanic populations, Asian Americans, and African-American populations continue to be underrepresented in the voting process- even in youth groups.
Also, the more educated a young voter is, the more likely they are to vote. A college-educated voter is more likely to vote than someone who has a high school education.
Source: socialstudies.org
Youth voter turnout varies by political identity
Young voters are not politically uniform. Their preferences differ by race, education, gender, geography, and whether they identify with a party at all. Campaigns should use local voter-file and survey data instead of assuming that age predicts support.
For GOTV, the practical question is not which party “owns” young voters. It is which identified supporters still need registration help, voting information, or a reminder to follow through.
Why young people don’t vote: Challenges
Are young people apathetic about the state of their country and politics? The answer would be no.
80% of young voters say they are interested in politics and plan to vote – however, the same numbers still need to be reflected in voter turnout.
Before we ask ourselves why and “How to get young people to vote this year?” let’s explore the challenges keeping them out of the election process.
A complicated voting process
For a new voter to vote in the U.S elections, they need to go through two processes:
- Register themselves to vote.
- Vote on the day of the polls.
The process and requirements to register to vote vary for different states, and keeping track of these can be difficult. Registration dates, timelines, and requirements change from state to state, and it takes work to keep up with these changes.
Also, young voters must re-register to vote if they move to a different state. At an age when most are continuously moving to universities or different cities for work, this can be a real cost on time.
These restrictive policies and registration processes actively discourage youth participation in politics and force us to think of better ways on how to get young people to vote.
Lack of information about voting
One-third of youth don’t know if their states have online registration for voting. 75% of them need more information about voting by mail.
This unavailability of resources and information about voting is a leading cause for young, inexperienced voters’ lack of participation. Along with a general need for awareness about the voting process, young voters must be better informed about candidates or their stance on issues.
No flexibility and a high cost of voting
As Americans, when we think about how to get young people to vote, we must also look into structural challenges that prevent the youth from voting.
Election days are not official holidays, and for young people struggling with new jobs, temporary housing situations, and less financial ability to take the day off – voting comes at a cost.
Spending a few hours at the polling station seems less appealing compared to keeping their jobs and pay for the day.
Lack of contact
Political parties are less likely to contact young voters without a previous voting history. Often, young voters are considered unreliable, making it difficult for parties to place their bets on their votes.
Studies show that 46% of voters aged 18-29 have never been contacted by any political campaign before elections.
Voting requires habit formation.
Yale Political Scientists Alan S. Gerber, Donald P. Green, and Ron Shachar found that voting is a habit-forming exercise. Their study means that the more opportunities you have to vote, the more likely you are to vote.
These findings could be one reason why young people do not turn out to vote as frequently as older generations. As time goes by, people are influenced by their friends and family’s choices to cast a vote and are encouraged to do the same.
Youth prefer other ways to make a difference.
While voter turnout is one way to engage in making society better, it is not the only way. In terms of political action, voter turnout is critical. However, young people are finding different ways to uplift their communities.
Many cite disillusionment with the current political climate for choosing volunteering over voting.
It could be through fundraisers, volunteering in their communities, or hosting bake sales – young people are finding more meaningful ways than one to engage.
With these challenges to getting young people to vote, it is essential to take steps to bring them back into civic participation and educate them on why it is necessary to vote.
How to get young people to vote: What are the states doing?
In recent years, many states have adopted policies to boost young voter turnout. Senator Elizabeth Warren also re-introduced the Youth Voting Right Act to encourage young people to vote.
“This bill will ensure young people aren’t left out of the voting process and allow them to have a say in their own future,” says Senator Warren.
Let’s take a look at some policies and reforms states are introducing to encourage young voters, such as:
- Automatic voter registration
- Pre-registration of voters
- Online registration
Automatic voter registration
With automatic voter registration, voters are automatically registered to vote whenever they interact with a government agency such as the Department of Motor Vehicles. Voters can request not to be automatically registered if they so wish.
Automatic voter registration across states. Source: lgbtmap.org
Pre-registration of voters
Another initiative gaining popularity is the pre-registration of voters before they turn 18 years of age. While they can vote only when they turn 18 years old, pre-registration can begin at age 16 or 17.
This ensures voters are reached at a young age and prepared over the years to participate in the democratic process.
California, for example, encourages teens aged 16 and 17 to pre-register to vote.
States that allow voter preregistration. Source: mapresearch.org
Online registration
In a digitally connected generation, online voter registration is crucial for accessibility and ease of process.
Therefore, many states have begun encouraging online voter registration to entice young voters to participate. Online voter registration is:
- Accessible: Anyone can register to vote no matter where they are situated.
- Cost-efficient: No missing days of work trying to figure out how to register to vote.
- Great for increasing registration and voter turnout: South Dakota saw an increase of 500% in voter registration after making it available online.
Source: naacpldf.org
Campaign efforts: How to get young people to vote?
Apart from initiatives by states, there are measures that campaigns can take to sway young voters 18 years of age and above in their favor. They are:
- Education and preparation
- Reach them early
- Conduct registration drives early on
- Engage in relational organizing
- Use channels that your youth is on
- Stay in contact with young voters
- Talk about issues they care about
Education and preparation
Campaigns can focus on educating and preparing young voters from their teens to when they are ready to vote.
Many campaigns run voter awareness movements through phonebanking, texting surveys, and door-knocking outreach.
The focus of these education initiatives is to:
- Ensure voters know how the voter registration process works.
- Help young voters facing difficulties registering.
- Guide voters to vote by mail-in ballots.
- Help voters build a voting plan to ensure they know what to expect.
- Aid voters in traveling to local voting booths.
Reach them early
Many initiatives, like Girls In Politics, encourage youth participation in politics. Right from a young age, they educate individuals about running for office and the electoral process.
Reaching out to impressionable minds about the importance of voting can build the habit of civic engagement.
Build a young voter universe
Start with eligible supporters and likely supporters in the age range your campaign defines as youth. Segment the list by registration status, voting history, campus or residential geography, contactability, and ballot method. Keep first-time voters separate because they often need more process information.
Size the universe against capacity. Estimate how many conversations each volunteer can complete per shift, then assign the highest-touch channels to voters who need personal help. Use lower-cost reminders for voters who already have a clear voting plan.
Conduct registration drives early on.
Begin voter registration drives at the early stages of a campaign to ensure no voters are left behind.
Considering young voters have many factors to deal with – university, new job, relocation, and more – reaching them early is wise.
Organize a campus-to-ballot program
Campus outreach works best when it follows the election calendar. Coordinate with administrators and nonpartisan campus partners, confirm what activity is permitted, and plan registration, absentee-ballot, early-vote, and election-day support as separate pushes.
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission recommends working with campus stakeholders and adapting outreach to each institution. Give student volunteers clear roles, such as residence-hall outreach, event sign-ups, voting-plan conversations, and deadline reminders. For students voting away from home, include state-specific absentee and ID guidance from official election sources.
Source: U.S. Election Assistance Commission
Engage in relational organizing
The human mind is most influenced by people around us and their habits, mannerisms, thought processes, and actions. When a young voter looks at their peers and family members volunteering for campaigns, actively participating in the democratic process, and engaging with politics – they are more likely to begin taking an interest in it too.
One of the best ways to influence young voters is to mobilize youth volunteers and campaign members to reach out to their networks through relational organizing. Relational organizing taps into the personal networks of volunteers and campaign members to reach audiences of similar demographics and mindsets. Young volunteers are in the best position to reach out to people of the same age and talk to them about voting, voter registration, and the importance of exercising their democratic rights. They can be a campaign’s best bet to reach younger voter bases.
Use the channels your young voters use
Channel choice should follow the voter and the task. Peer-to-peer texts are useful for deadline reminders and short two-way exchanges. Relational organizing adds trust. Phone calls help when a voter has questions or a barrier that cannot be solved in one text. Door-to-door contact can still matter in dense campus or neighborhood universes.
Social media is an amplification channel rather than a substitute for direct contact. Use it to explain deadlines, recruit volunteers, and direct people to official resources. Then use text, phone, and relational outreach to confirm that individual supporters have a plan.
Pew Research Center’s 2025 survey shows that platform use differs substantially by age, which supports choosing platforms from current audience data rather than relying on a generic “youth channel.”
Source: Pew Research Center
Adjust GOTV scripts for young and first-time voters
Open with the purpose of the contact and ask one practical question: “Have you decided when and how you will vote?” If the voter is unsure, help them choose a method, time, polling location, transportation plan, and backup option.
Do not assume a young voter understands registration, identification, or absentee rules. Link to the relevant state or local election office, and train volunteers to say when they do not know an answer. Keep persuasion language out of the final GOTV script for voters already identified as supporters.
Stay in contact with young voters.
Most young voters report that campaigns have never contacted them to vote.
A continual outreach strategy targeted toward young voters is essential to sway them. As first-time voters, they would appreciate campaigns that try to connect with their group, hear their concerns, and work on issues that affect them.
Talk about issues they care about
While foreign policy issues may be necessary, the youth face larger, more immediate crises. These issues include unemployment, the rising cost of living, high rental prices, student loans, climate change, gun violence, and more.
Working on these issues and including them as part of your election campaign strategy goes a long way to answer the question, “How to get young people to vote for me?”
Measure youth voter mobilization
Track registration completions, valid contact rate, response rate, voting-plan commitments, volunteer conversations per hour, and unresolved barriers. Break results out by segment and channel so a strong overall rate does not hide an under-contacted campus or first-time-voter group.
During GOTV, move capacity toward segments with low contact rates and reachable barriers. After the election, compare contact history with the voter file when legally and operationally possible, document which scripts and channels produced useful conversations, and retain volunteer and data notes for the next cycle.
Youth voter outreach through CallHub
If you are ready to reach out to your young voter base – we have the right tools for you. Visit CallHub’s GOTV use case page to see the full outreach toolkit, then use CallHub’s texting tools to reach out to the youth at the one place they are guaranteed to pay attention to – their mobile phones.
With CallHub’s texting tools, you can:
- Reach thousands of contacts swiftly.
- Share GIFs, memes, videos, images, and other media through MMS.
- Engage in two-way conversations with the youth to understand their concerns or help them make a voting plan.
- Share links and other information, conduct surveys and get them to answer polls quickly.
- Sign up today to begin youth outreach and get a 14-day free trial!
Featured Image Source: Edmond Dantès
The way forward
Getting young people to vote is a sequence, not a single reminder. Campaigns need to reach young voters early, give them reliable information, make the voting process concrete, and follow up on the barriers that remain. The strongest programs combine peer trust with disciplined voter-file targeting and direct contact.
Frequently asked questions
How can campaigns get young people to vote?
Start early, build a defined young voter universe, use peer and direct outreach, help each supporter make a voting plan, and follow up on registration, ballot, transportation, and information barriers.
What increases youth voter turnout?
Accessible registration, clear election information, repeated personal contact, social encouragement, and help overcoming practical barriers can all support youth participation.
Which outreach channels work best for young voters?
There is no single best channel. Relational organizing and texting are useful for many programs, while calls and canvassing help with complex questions. Social media supports awareness and recruitment but should connect to direct outreach.
How should a campaign contact first-time voters?
Use plain language, explain why you are contacting them, ask about their voting plan, and provide official links for registration, identification, absentee voting, polling locations, and deadlines.
How can campaigns increase college voter turnout?
Coordinate with campus partners, recruit student leaders, organize around the election calendar, and provide accurate guidance for students deciding whether to vote at school or from their home address.
When should youth voter outreach begin?
Begin before registration and absentee-ballot deadlines. Continue through early voting and election day, changing the message from awareness to planning, barrier removal, and follow-up.
Why do some young people not vote?
Common reasons include registration problems, lack of information, schedule conflicts, transportation, unfamiliarity with the process, and not being contacted. CIRCLE found that time conflicts and insufficient information were prominent barriers among 2024 youth nonvoters.
How should campaigns measure youth GOTV outreach?
Track valid contact rate, response rate, voting-plan commitments, resolved barriers, volunteer productivity, and eventual turnout where lawful voter-file data is available.
Research source: CIRCLE, Barriers and Hardships: Why Some Youth Didn’t Vote in 2024
