Congresswoman Nikema Williams and Senator Elizabeth Warren to Introduce Bill to Expand Youth Access to Voting

Press Release

Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) announced she will introduce the Youth Voting Rights Act, comprehensive legislation to enforce the Twenty-Sixth Amendment and expand youth access to voting. This legislation is co-sponsored in the House of Representatives by Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.-Del.), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (IL-04), Ted Lieu (CA-33), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Mondaire Jones (NY-17), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Juan Vargas (CA-51), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Sara Jacobs (CA-53), Carolyn Maloney (NY-12), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), John Sarbanes (MD-03), and Deborah Ross (NC-02). Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is leading introduction of companion legislation in the Senate.

The Twenty-Sixth Amendment, formally ratified on July 1, 1971, prohibits the denial of the right to vote on account of age for all citizens aged 18 or older. But over fifty years after its ratification, the Twenty-Sixth Amendment's promise remains unfulfilled. Young voters participate in elections at lower rates than voters in older age cohorts. Their provisional ballots and mail-in ballots are rejected at disproportionate rates. And they routinely face serious obstacles to voter registration and in-person voting.

Congresswoman Williams said:

"Our democracy is stronger when our youth are heard at the ballot box. Unfortunately, young citizens still face disproportionate barriers to voting. We must do more to strengthen democratic access across generations. I am proud to join with Senator Elizabeth Warren to introduce the Youth Voting Rights Act so we can end age-based barriers to voting. Everyone deserves free and fair access to the ballot box--no matter your age, no matter your ZIP Code,"

Senator Warren said:

"Voting is the beating heart of our democracy. Young people are the future of America, and with voting rights under attack across the country, we must do everything we can to ensure they can exercise their right to vote. My new bicameral bill with Congresswoman Nikema Williams will ensure young people aren't left out of the voting process, and I'm thrilled to partner with her and my colleagues on this effort."

Voting is a fundamental right in any democracy, as bipartisan supermajorities in Congress and the states nearly unanimously recognized when the United States adopted the Twenty-Sixth Amendment in the fastest ratification process in American history. Specifically, the bill would:

Empower individuals and the government to enforce the Twenty-Sixth Amendment. The bill creates a private right of action to enforce the Twenty-Sixth Amendment and establishes a national standard of review for such lawsuits.
Expand voter registration services at public colleges and universities. The bill designates offices at all public institutions of higher education as "voter registration agencies" under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, imposing voter registration obligations on these institutions.
Allow young people in every state to pre-register to vote before turning 18. To ensure that young people can vote as soon as they turn 18, the bill requires states to establish pre-registration processes for 16- and 17-year-olds and allows states to expand their processes to youth younger than 16.
Require institutions of higher education to have on-campus polling places. The bill ensures the availability of polling places on campuses of institutions of higher education, removing one of the most significant barriers to youth voting access.
Prohibit durational residency requirements for all federal elections. The bill extends the Voting Rights Act's protections against durational residency requirements and absentee voting limitations to all federal elections, not only elections for President and Vice President, and codifies the right to vote from a college domicile.
Guarantee that states accept student IDs to meet voter-identification requirements. The bill mandates the acceptance of student IDs to meet state voter-identification requirements in federal elections.
Create a grant program dedicated to youth involvement in elections. The bill creates a grant program for states to encourage youth involvement in elections, including through pre-registration, updated civics curricula, and a paid fellowship for young persons to work with state and local officials to support youth civic and political engagement.
Gather data on youth voter registration and election participation. The bill requires the federal government to study voter registration, absentee voting, and provisional voting trends by age and race to inform efforts to improve youth involvement in elections.

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