Voting is a right of U.S. citizens to collectively decide who they want to represent them at local, state, and federal levels. Citizens hold the power to elect officials who then endorse and authorize legislation. When youth decide not to participate in voting, there is little incentive for their concerns to be considered by elected leaders. It is vital to understand what encourages youth to vote and what prevents them from voting, so that universities and state leaders can use this knowledge to decrease the gap.
In Indiana, youth voter registration decreased in the 2022 midterms by 14% from 2018. This had a direct impact on voter turnout, putting Indiana in the bottom quartile of youth voter turnout compared to other U.S. states in 2022. Within the Indiana youth age group, 18 to 29 year olds, there are 1.1 million potential voters. Out of that population, only 66% registered to vote, and only 13% actually voted in the 2022 midterms. Considering the positive correlation between education and voter turnout, it is surprising that only 13% of the total Indiana youth population turned out to vote when over 50% of youth attend college in Indiana.
Youth are most concentrated in college campuses so in order to hear directly from the target audience, Indiana University was used as a case study to better understand the facilitators and barriers to turning out to vote. I circulated a survey for one month to learn more about students’ political awareness, voter registration, and midterm voting habits and collected 305 responses. Here are four key findings I found:
Students may identify as politically aware, but it does not always guarantee they will vote. Students expressed that they want to be more informed. Within the survey, respondents were asked to rate themselves on how politically aware they consider themselves to be. Of the students that said they were somewhat or extremely aware of politics, 44% did not vote in the midterms. Despite students considering themselves to be informed, it does not mean they will cast a vote. Moreover, students were also asked to rate whether or not they are satisfied with their levels of awareness. Of the students who did not vote in the 2022 midterms, 40% expressed dissatisfaction with their levels of awareness. There is much opportunity to increase knowledge amongst a student population that wants to know more.
Majority of students rely on their parents to influence them to register to vote and to vote, while very few report being influenced by the university. On the survey, students were asked to rate what influenced them most when it came to voting. 45% of respondents said their parents, guardian, or family member was a big factor in their decision to register or vote. Over 50% of respondents said that Indiana University was not a factor in either decision. Universities have the opportunity to be more of an influence when students are away from their motivating factor while living on a campus.
Students may be more likely to vote if their friends decide to register and vote together. Of the students that are registered and voted, nearly a quarter of students reported that a friend was a big factor in their decision to vote. Of the respondents that were not registered, 52% said they would be more likely to register in the future if their friends decided to register and vote together. Peer influence goes a long way amongst youth and on a college campus it can be used to encourage voter engagement.
Most students who did not vote said they forgot, or they did not know enough about the candidates or issues. Non-voters were asked to select the reasons they did not vote. The top reasons for students not voting was because they forgot, did not know enough about the candidates or issues, were out of town, or too busy. With this knowledge, a university can leverage these barriers and work to overcome them to increase voter turnout amongst students.
With facilitators and barriers in mind, here are four recommendations for universities to directly address the difficulties faced by students to register and vote.
- Visibility. With an overwhelming amount of students reporting they forgot to vote, an increase in voter awareness and a visible presence for voting on campus needs to be made. This can be in the form of large posters, banners, and booths teaching students how to register or request a ballot or what dates need to be met.
- Knowledge. Many students reported not knowing enough about the candidates or issues. Websites should be readily available for students to learn about the candidates in their voting district. Candidates should be invited to sit on issue panels on campus.
- Absentee Voting. Students need to be taught how to cast a vote even if they are not in town on Election Day. Students also expressed they don’t know whether to vote in their college or hometown.
- Utilize In-Class Time. All respondents were asked what IU should prioritize to encourage student voter engagement. Over half of students said in class time should be prioritized to teach them how to register or request a ballot. With many students reporting being too busy to cast a vote, it may be important to schedule time in a students day to learn more about the voting process.
Kate Burnett is a junior in the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs majoring in environmental management. She will be starting her first year of O’Neill’s Master’s program in Public Affairs in the fall.
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