Where Youth Voter Registration Stands Before the Presidential Election

By

Matthew Arrojas

Updated on November 4, 2024

Edited by

Darlene Earnest

Learn more about our editorial process

Youth voter registration has surpassed 2020 levels in a few swing states, including Nevada and Michigan.

Credit: Nathan Posner / Anadolu / Getty Images

• The number of registered voters ages 18-29 is below 2020 levels in all but nine states.
• Registrations are up in a few key battleground states, however.
• In other swing states like Pennsylvania, trends are down.
• Many swing states allow same-day registration, which could give young voters a chance to impact the election.

Traditionally aged college students have a chance to swing the 2024 presidential election, but they first need to register to vote.

Voter registration trends for those ages 18-29 vary wildly from state to state, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE). For most states, data shows trends as of Oct. 28 — approximately one week before the general election on Nov. 5.

Voter registration among this demographic surpassed 2020 numbers in some key battleground states like Nevada and Michigan. But in other swing states like Pennsylvania and Georgia, fewer voters under 30 are registered than in 2020.

Just nine of 41 states where the information is available reported youth voter registration levels above the 2020 election numbers, per CIRCLE.

Here is where youth voter registration stands in each of the primary battleground states in 2024:

Four of these swing states with data ranked in the top five of CIRCLE’s Youth Electoral Significance Index (YESI) for the presidential election. This ranking aims to highlight states where voters ages 18-29 are poised to have the biggest impact, taking into account factors like competitiveness, past youth voter participation, and other demographic attributes.

Here are the top 10 states in the YESI ranking for the 2024 presidential election, plus the change in youth voter registrations compared to 2020:

1. Michigan: 11.8%
2. Wisconsin: N/A
3. Pennsylvania: -6.4%
4. Arizona: -3.1%
5. Nevada: 11.5%
6. Minnesota: -0.4%
7. Georgia: -7.7%
8. New Hampshire: N/A*
9. North Carolina: 1.9%
10. Virginia: -3.9%

*There is no available voter registration data for New Hampshire.

In five of the top eight YESI states with voter registration data, registrations among youth voters are down from 2020. However, Virginia, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nevada, and New Hampshire all allow same-day registration, which means young voters still have a chance to heavily impact the presidential election in these states.

In 2020, 50% of eligible voters under the age of 30 turned out to vote in the presidential election, according to CIRCLE.