Michigan SOS roundtable strategizes how to woo young voters to the polls

(The Center Square) – In an effort to boost voter turnout, the state of Michigan plans to bring politics to schools, workplaces and social media.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson played host to a roundtable earlier this week to discuss solutions to voter turnout gaps among young Michiganders.

Compared to the rest of the nation, Michigan boasted a higher turnout of voters aged 18-29 in the 2022 midterm election. Yet, nearly 60% of active registered voters in that age group did not cast a ballot in 2022, according to Michigan Department of State data and national surveys on youth voter turnout.

“In 2022, Michigan led the nation in youth voter turnout, and what this new report makes clear is we’ve still got work to do,” Benson said. “There are still too many young people in Michigan whose voices are not being heard at the ballot box. In 2024, we will work with nonpartisan partners across the state to give every eligible young voter – no matter who they vote for – the tools and information they need to fully participate in the upcoming elections.”

The meeting also addressed the disparity in voting between young voters with college experience versus without. A national poll found that while nearly 90% of young people who vote have some college experience, 40% of youth in the U.S. have not attended college according to 2021 census data, making non-college attending youth an underrepresented group.

The group discussed strategies to improve turnout of young voters for the upcoming elections, including:

Targeting communications on social media platforms that young people useDistributing nonpartisan voter education information in workplacesPromoting early voting and absentee votingEngaging youth organizations to share nonpartisan voting informationPartnering with young leaders, trusted influencers, sports teams and entertainers to engage young voters

The Detroit meeting featured representatives from multiple organizations, including the Michigan Department of State Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force, NAACP Detroit, League of Women Voters and APIA Vote.