Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson recently hosted a Michigan youth voting roundtable in Detroit where she released a new report identifying two significant voter turnout gaps among young voters in the last two elections -- a gap between the number of young people who were active registered voters and those who cast a ballot; and a gap in election participation between young people with college experience and those with no college experience.
While Michigan led the nation in 2022 in voter turnout for citizens aged 18-29, the report shows that nearly 60% of active registered voters in that age group did not cast a ballot in the midterm election.
This turnout gap was smaller in 2020, but the data still shows that 38.3% of young active registered voters did not vote in the presidential election.
Participants at the roundtable included the Michigan Department of State Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force, NAACP Detroit, League of Women Voters, and APIA Vote.
“What this report makes clear is there are too many young people in Michigan whose voices are not being heard at the ballot box,” Secretary Benson said. “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. And we encourage everyone in our state to be a part of this outreach to help us ensure that all eligible citizens are aware of their options to vote this year and beyond.”
Approximately 1.3 million Michiganders aged 18-29 are currently active registered voters. If this group voted at the same level as the rest of the state’s population, there would be more than 250,000 additional votes being cast.
The new report also included county-by-county data on active registered voters vs. ballots cast.
Counties with the smallest gap between active registered young voters and actual young voters in 2022 were: Washtenaw (43.7% not voting), Ottawa (49.8%), Clinton (49.8%), Livingston (50.2%), and Oakland (51%).
Counties with the largest gap in 2022 were: Luce (75.6%), Lake (75.6%), Oscoda (74.8%), Menominee (74.7%) and Iron (74.3%).
The numbers for Otsego County show that 1,129 ballots were cast by young voters (18-29) in 2022. This represents only 34.5% of active registered young voters in the county. The number not voting was 2,147 (65.5%). Although voters in this age range represent 14% of all active registered voters in Otsego County, less than nine percent actually voted in the 2022 midterm election.
The report also found a large disparity in voting between youth who had college experience versus those who had never attended college. Although 87% of young voters (18-29) in 2022 had at least some college experience, youth with no college experience are significantly underrepresented in voting statistics, because nearly half of young people in Michigan do not have college experience and do not live on college campuses.
To reach all young voters, we must expand our voter engagement and education strategies beyond campus and meet voters where they are.
“Young people are an incredibly important part of our electorate and can have an enormous impact on local, state, and national policy,” said Lisa Wozniak, executive director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters Education Fund. “Voting is more accessible in Michigan than ever before, and it’s on all of us to meet young people where they are so they know all of the ways they can make their voice heard. This portion of the electorate is civically engaged and will be key to defining the future of our democracy.”
For more information about Michigan’s elections, including how to register, applying for an absentee ballot, and new early voting options across the state, visit Michigan.gov/Vote.
