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Youth voter registration is surging in Pennsylvania

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Youth voter registration is surging in Pennsylvania

Benefiting from a surge of young people registering to vote, Democrats in Pennsylvania hold a significant registration advantage statewide and in many key congressional races six weeks out from the midterm general election.

The latest available data released from the Pennsylvania Department of State on Sept. 17 shows that registered Democrats — more than 4 million in total — outnumbered registered Republicans statewide by more than 810,000.

But the most stark takeaway from the numbers comes from people ages 34 and younger, who are now registered to vote in greater numbers in Pennsylvania than those ages 65 and older. That’s a first in state history, according to registration activists.

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The prevalence of younger registrations underscores the heightened sense of political activism among young people across the country this cycle. Although it’s not a presidential election year, the presidency of Donald Trump has awakened an enthusiasm ahead of the midterms that could impact a score of races on the federal and local levels, activists say.

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“I think the biggest thing I’m seeing right now is an awareness of the political climate,” said Jarrett Smith, Pennsylvania state director of the progressive group NextGen America. “Young people are the most progressive generation we’ve had in America, and in the era of Trump. They’re responding quite negatively to his bigoted policies. That’s motivating people to get out and vote.”

Some evidence shows that the youthful voter bump in Pennsylvania happened recently and at a rate higher than much of the country. In the five months following February’s mass school shooting in Parkland, Fla., the rate of voter registration among people ages 18 to 29 in Pennsylvania increased from 45.2 percent of total registrants to 61.4 percent, according to a study by the Democratic voter data firm TargetSmart. That boost — about 16 percent — was the highest among the 40 states the firm analyzed.

While there are about 2.1 million registered voters in the 34-and-younger age bloc in the state, more of the benefits appear to be going to the Democrats. More than a quarter of registered Pennsylvania Democrats fall in that age range, compared with less than 20 percent of Republicans.

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Groups like NextGen consider this a job well-done. Founded by progressive billionaire Tom Steyer, the organization refocused its efforts after the 2016 election cycle to register young people to vote. Though their voter registration and turnout efforts are nonpartisan — they register everyone, regardless of desired party — their political tilt is progressive, and they operate under the assumption that young people lean progressive, too. 

NextGen has registered 28,000 voters in Pennsylvania so far this year, most in the age range of 18 to 34. NextGen’s drives have made way to 60 college campuses, where students have indicated an interest in issues such as access to affordable health care and gun control, Mr. Smith said. 

The group is targeting several specific congressional districts — including Pennsylvania’s 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th, 10th and 17th — but also has set its sights on schools like Penn State University for general turnout purposes. In southwestern Pennsylvania’s 17th district, where Democrats hold a 69,000-plus registration advantage, NextGen has enrolled voters at Robert Morris University and on Community College of Allegheny County campuses. 

Mr. Smith said the organization has modeled its efforts off its successes. In the primaries earlier this year, turnout in Philadelphia increased among those ages 18 to 35, while every other age demographic decreased, he said. In 2017, turnout at Penn State and at several other campuses doubled, Mr. Smith added.

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“For us, success would look like re-electing both Gov. [Tom] Wolf and [U.S.] Sen. Bob Casey,” Mr. Smith said. “And for us, we’re really hoping to pick up as many as 10 congressional seats in the target districts we’re working.”

Though they face a gap in registration, Republicans historically have turned out to vote in advantageous numbers — and the state’s party feels “more energized than ever,” its chairman, Val DiGiorgio, said in a statement after a strategy summit this past weekend. 

At the state GOP summit, the party briefed committee members and activists on ways to encourage people to get out the vote, target specific voters and use new campaign technology, according to a news release.

“We were happy to help provide the tools they need to implement a successful ground game over the next several weeks,” Mr. DiGiorgio said.

On Tuesday, which is National Voter Registration Day, NextGen Pennsylvania will aim to register 1,000 young people at events at Muhlenberg College and Edinboro University — joining several other groups that will hold registration drives that day.

Drives will be held at 35 libraries across Allegheny County, as part of a partnership between the county’s library association and the League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh. As part of its new “Democracy in Action @ Your Library” civic literacy program, volunteers will help register new voters, update registrations, provide absentee ballot forms, check polling places and provide nonpartisan voter information.

“There’s been an awakening. People are realizing that many people in our society don’t know how to participate, or don’t understand how their local governments work, how municipalities work, how state governments work,” said Kelci Degnian, the library association’s communications and connections coordinator. “When you don’t have that connection to your civil society, you can feel disenfranchised.”

Pittsburgh’s women voters organization has also seen an increase in interest in registration. Judy Clack, its voter service chair, said 96 people have contacted her about volunteering to help register voters.

In 2017, the league registered 550 people in the Pittsburgh area. This year, from Jan. 1 to Sept. 17, the league registered 926 and has several more registration events scheduled. The league’s voter turnout efforts are nonpartisan.

Also on Tuesday, the nonprofit voter registration organization When We All Vote will bring its co-chair, actor Tom Hanks, to Pittsburgh to celebrate voting. The event at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall also will feature Steelers running back James Conner, team executive Jim Rooney and Kiya Tomlin, wife of head coach Mike Tomlin

The effort was launched this year by former first lady Michelle Obama to address low registration rates and poor participation in midterm elections.

Voter registration applications can be submitted online, or by mail or in person to county voter registration offices by the Oct. 9 deadline. The applications must be postmarked by that day, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State.

Julian Routh: jrouth@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1952, Twitter @julianrouth.

First Published: September 24, 2018, 10:25 a.m.

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