The voting process might get a little easier for American youth if a new federal bill gets approved, U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-Manhattan/Brooklyn) said on Tuesday.
The Pre-registration of Voters Everywhere (PROVE Act) would enable U.S. citizens ages 16 and 17 to pre-register to vote, which Goldman said would ensure they are automatically added to voter rolls once they turn 18.
“The right to vote is one of our most fundamental rights – it is critical that every barrier to voting as soon as you are eligible is eliminated,” Goldman said. “The effects of voting once are clear: once you have voted, you are more likely to continue voting in the future. The ‘PROVE Act’ will ensure that the next generation of voters can more easily begin to engage in our political system and exercises their voice in elections to come.”
The law would only apply to federal elections. States would also have the option to lower the pre-registration age to kids even younger than 16, according to verbiage in the bill.
The bill, which is an amendment to the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, would also provide $25 million over two years for states to create school curricula that center around civic engagement, though it is unclear right now what those lessons would entail.
Like many things in life, doing something just once can jumpstart a habit, and according to studies, voting is no different. A Yale University study found that voting once can even be habit forming.
“Voting in one election substantially increases the likelihood of voting in the future,” the study states.
Is there a ‘civics crisis’ in schools?
Goldman is not the only politician working to get kids more engaged in civics. Former 2024 Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy even went so far as to pitch a constitutional amendment requiring citizens to take a civics test before voting, similar to the one aspiring U.S. citizens must take.
Goldman and Ramaswamy might be on to something. A survey conducted in July by College Pulse and released by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA), an organization that advocates for free speech on campuses and higher education requirements, revealed some startling finds.
Of more than 3,000 college students surveyed with 35 questions, only 31% knew that James Madison is the “father of the Constitution.” Only 28% knew that 13th Amendment freed the slaves in the United States.
The survey takers did not do so well on modern civics, either. Less than half knew that Mike Johnson is the speaker of the House of Representatives and John Roberts is the chief justice of the Supreme Court.
Michael Poliakoff, ACTA president, expressed concern over the findings of the survey.
“The dismal results of our survey show that current students and recent college graduates have little idea of the American past or its core principles and values, no guide to take them through the roiling controversies facing us today or to enable them to defend and protect the free institutions that are the glory of our nation and an inspiration to the world,” he said.
Meanwhile, as part of the PROVE Act, funding would support efforts to get high-school students more involved in public election activities and civic engagement.
