City kicks off campaign to get out the youth vote

The city’s Civics for All initiative has registered thousands of voters at New York City high schools. Photo via nyc.gov.

By Jonathan Sperling

The New York City Campaign Finance Board and a host of city agencies are gearing up to get young New Yorkers to the polls this election season, launching five voter registration training events for student leaders citywide.

DemocracyNYC and the Department of Education will joining the NYCCFB today to deploy a corps of city students to help their classmates register to vote during Civics Week, which will take place from March 2 to 9.

A Queens training will be held at the Long Island City branch of the Queens Public Library, located at 37-44 21st St., beginning at 4 p.m. today. Events in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan took place last week, while an event in Staten Island is scheduled for Friday.

Last year, 18,233 New York City students from 258 schools registered to vote during Civics Weeks, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in May 2019.

“Whether it’s hosting a town hall, participating in Participatory Budgeting or registering to vote, students have a real opportunity to strengthen our democracy. I encourage everyone to get involved,” de Blasio said.

NYC Votes, the nonpartisan voter engagement initiative of the NYCCFB, said young voters cast ballots at unprecedented levels in the 2018 elections, but turnout and registration rates remain low compared to older voters. Students of color from historically disenfranchised communities were particularly underrepresented at the polls.

The NYCCFB credits Civics Week with registering tens of thousands of high school students to vote for the first time since the program began in 2015.