AVR will open door to more young voters
For young people, and certainly here in Hawaiʻi, it is less about red versus blue and more about taking a bold stand to fight for our future. That’s why millennial Congressperson Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has captured the hearts of so many young people. And it is why U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s patronizing response to the very young and very articulate members of the Sunrise Movement asking for action on climate change was widely condemned.
Young people do care. We care about our future. We care about this planet. We care about each other.
Yet, we do not fully participate in our democracy for the most pedestrian of reasons. In 2012, the most common reason millennials cited for not voting was “not being registered.” Clearly, if young people are already registered, they will be much more likely to actually vote. That’s why we support the idea of automatic voter registration (AVR) in Hawaiʻi. It is one step toward a technology-based, efficient and secure system that is consistent with what our digital generation expects and enjoys in many other aspects of our lives.
How do we know AVR works? Oregon expanded its voter roll by more than 200,000 after implementing AVR, and of that group of new voters, 67,902 of them—or 36 percent—took the next step of casting a ballot.
AVR—three letters that tell young voters that their voice matters. Millennials, and the oldest Gen Z members who are just now beginning to vote, represent the largest single voting bloc in the country. We have significant untapped political power. We need to take our seat at the table and address the damage that has been done to the planet. It’s time to expand access to democracy. Call your legislators and ask them to pass Senate Bill 412 and establish AVR in Hawaiʻi.
