The Largest Generation Project
Preparing students for life includes preparing them to vote.
When students learn how to pre-register, rates can rise to as high as 96%.
The Challenge
Elected officials pay as much attention to those who are not registered to vote as butchers give to the food preferences of vegetarians.
—Holbein and Hillyus, Making Young Voters
A Fresh Approach
Shifting the Paradigm: from ‘Opportunities’ to Education
Imagine if every student left high school ready and registered to vote! This isn’t a dream, though: it’s already being done in parts of the country.
We looked at counties that boast the highest rates in the country, some as high as 96%. In talking to election officials there, the common denominator that emerged was that teachers taught in-class voter readiness education. While any student can exercise their right to opt out of signing and submitting the form, with no impact on their grade, the peer-group activity motivates students, and the classroom setting conveys the positive expectation that they will complete their registrations. When it’s easier to register than to avoid it, a lot more citizens get registered.
Breadth of Coverage, and Depth of Influence
High schools are the ONLY American institution where we can reach and pre-register over 95% of voters born in any one year.
Teachers are in a unique position to unravel misinformation, deliver critical skills students need, raise expectations for civic participation, and follow up with students who face barriers. In addition, they’re prepared to help students navigate obstacles they may not want to confide to a peer: homelessness, ID issues, or special needs. The earlier voting behavior is instilled, the more ingrained the habit becomes. In other words: catch kids early with civic education, and they become supervoters.
Our dream is that EVERY student leaves high school registered and ready. It’s what kids deserve, and what our democracy needs.
Ripple-Effect Potential
Studies show that the ability to pre-register raises voting rates by 13% among new voters. In addition, once teachers start teaching voter readiness, they often do it year after year. Finally, registering and pre-registering students has a tremendous ripple effect. Studies show that once students register at school, they go home and help their unregistered family members to register.
Our Organizing Track Record
Over 5,000 activists *nationwidwe* have contributed to our projects, and they’ve contributed close to $800,000 to help them succeed.