About 90,000 California teens have preregistered to vote
California's new system allows a much easier way for teens who are both California residents and U.S. citizens to get involved in the political process.
Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced that 88,700 teens, under 17 years of age had preregistered to vote in the upcoming election. About 44% of them were unaffiliated or registered as independent voters, basically, they didn't have a party preference.
Padilla pointed out that there was a significant increase in registrations following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.
This was the breakdown:
- 37.39% (33,165) registered "Democratic"
- 10.36% (9,187) registered "Republican"
- 2.33% (2,065) registered "American Independent"
- 1.56% (1,380) registered "Libertarian"
- 1.03% (917) registered "Peace and Freedom"
- 0.64% (568) registered "Green"
- 0.50% (441) registered "Other"
- 2.54% (2,256) registered "Unknown"
In 2016, teens who are turning 18 by the time of the next election were allowed to pre-register to vote. Many of them were excited and couldn't wait to exercise their right to vote. Most millennials are very tech-savvy in comparison to previous generations and were open to the idea of an online pre-registration.
Why Millennials Matter In The Next Election
Millennials surpass Baby Boomers in terms of population. They also represent nearly one-third of the eligible voting population as well as the workforce. Not only do they outnumber them, but they also are the most diverse generation in United States history. They are very interested in the political process and are voicing their opinions on social media and in movements around the nation.
Most millennials graduated college with a total debt crisis that numbers around $1.3 trillion USD. Also, most don't have savings and some are still unemployed.