oYU Seattle

Voter education

Amplifying Our Voice

OYU Seattle is committed to ensuring our young leaders and community are staying informed and active in all areas of civic life. We do so by fostering a culture of civic engagement that starts with registering to vote and showing up at the polls every year.
OYU Seattle Leaders Are:
Providing presentation covering the importance voter education, how to vote, and registering attendees.

Contributing to a national research project, where they collected 200 + surveys about the challenges of being a young voter.

Conducting registration drives at community events to increase voting accessibility and political engagement. 

Testifying at the state capitol in favor of Automatic Voter Registration 

Y(our) Vote Matters

As part of a national effort to study and promote young people’s political engagement, OYU Seattle supported Opportunity Youth United National Chapter and the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE) on  a survey to better understand youth (age 18-34) and their experiences with, knowledge of, and perceptions of election and voting.

demographics

1
States : AZ, KY, LA, MA, MS, and WA
1000
People ages 18-34 from racially and ethnically diverse background
1 +
Young people from Washington

Highlights from our survey

50%

Less than half of surveyed youth think voting is “a responsibility” for someone like them

24%

Only 24% of young people see voting as part of who they are

75%

Three-quarters of youth said they believe they need a photo ID to vote–most of them mistakenly, as just one of the six states in our survey has a strict photo ID requirement. 

33%

Only a third of young people know what steps to follow to vote

17%

Five of the six states where we fielded the survey allow online voting registration but only 17% of surveyed youth in those states had registered to vote online. 

Conclusion:

Opportunity Youth United and CIRCLE’s research suggests that voter education must go beyond merely providing information: it must identify what young people already do or don’t know in order to address specific knowledge gaps, allay concerns about electoral engagement, and build comfort and trust where little may exist.
Read the full report

Looking for Voter Engagement Ambassadors!

Are you a young person 16-30 of age? Have experience barriers in education, employment, or housing? Or have been formally incarcerated? Currently attending an alternative high school or a re-engagement site?

If you are passionate about civic engagement and want to make a difference in your community join OYU Seattle and be a Voter Engagement Ambassador! This is a paid opportunity where you will get the chance to develop leadership skills, engage with other young leaders like yourself, and gain valuable skills for the workforce.

Applications Open During Election Season
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