Nearly two-thirds of Michigan youth voters didn’t cast a ballot in 2022, report says

Line to register to vote and cast a ballot at the University of Michigan, Nov. 8, 2022 | Laina G. Stebbins

There’s a disparity between young Michiganders who are registered to vote and those who actually cast a ballot — which is even larger between young people with college experience and those with none.

That’s according to a new report released Monday by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who also hosted a roundtable discussion in Detroit on the topic of youth voting in Michigan.

“In 2022, Michigan led the nation in youth voter turnout, and what this new report makes clear is we’ve still got work to do,” said Benson. “There are still too many young people in Michigan whose voices are not being heard at the ballot box. In 2024, we will work with nonpartisan partners across the state to give every eligible young voter — no matter who they vote for — the tools and information they need to fully participate in the upcoming elections. And we encourage everyone in our state to be a part of this outreach to help us ensure that all eligible citizens are aware of their options to vote this year and beyond.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson gave a presentation on youth voter engagement and education at a roundtable in Detroit on June 24, 2024 | Benson office photo

According to the report, “Michigan’s Youth Vote: Closing the Turnout Gaps,” more than 1.36 million Michiganders 18 to 29 were registered to vote in 2022, but only about 556,000 actually voted — a difference of 59.2%. While data from the last presidential election in 2020 showed a smaller turnout gap, 38.3% of young active registered voters still did not ultimately vote in that election.

Additionally, the voting gap turned into a chasm when considering recent national survey data by CIRCLE, a nonpartisan, independent research organization at Tufts University, which is focused on youth civic engagement in the United States. It found that 87% of voters aged 18 to 29 have some college experience, while 2021 U.S. Census data showed that 40% of Americans in this age group have no college experience.

“That large, 28-percentage-point gap between the percentage of youth without college experience in the population and in the electorate represents a major disenfranchisement of youth who have a high school degree or lower educational attainment,” said CIRCLE.

In trying to address the youth voting gaps, Benson met with representatives of nonpartisan organizations at Monday’s youth roundtable to better understand the barriers that prevent a higher level of youth voting in Michigan and how to overcome them. Participants included the Michigan Department of State Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force, NAACP Detroit, League of Women Voters and APIA Vote.

“We are excited about engaging our youth and young adults on why we need them to vote for this election and beyond,” said LaToya Henry, an adviser to the NAACP Detroit Youth Council. “That’s why the work we do to educate and mobilize voters is so important.  From early on, we want them to see and understand that their vote today has the ability to shape their power for tomorrow.”

The report also includes county-by-county data on active registered voters vs. ballots cast for both the 2022 and 2020 elections. 

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