CA Bill Would Lower the Voter Preregistration Age to 15

image
Brenda EvansBrenda Evans
Published: 22 Jan, 2013
2 min read
California District 19 Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson / PHOTO: Sen. Jackson's Facebook

A proposed California initiative would lower the voter preregistration age to 15.

Under the bill put forward by Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-CA), 15-year-olds could preregister when they get their learner's permit at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Pre-registrants would remain ineligible to vote until they turn 18.

"I see this as an opportunity to encourage teens to make sure they register to vote," Jackson said. "We really need to have people at all ages voting and voting in large numbers, and it also encourages more lifelong engaged voters so we end up with a vibrant and healthy democracy." Tweet this quote: Tweet #CApolitics

Under the Motor Voter Law of 1995, people are allowed to register through the DMV and many other government agencies, a move to make registration more accessible. Jackson reasons that “becoming a driver is an important rite of passage, and so is becoming a voter,” so pairing the two together is convenient.

Pre-registrants also have the option to apply through the Secretary of State's online registration system or by mail. California Secretary of State Debra Bowen is sponsoring the bill.

"Young people are more likely to become lifelong voters when they are engaged early, so offering the opportunity to preregister will be a powerful tool in getting them hooked on democracy," Bowen told The Sacramento Bee. Tweet this quote: Tweet #CApolitics

According to Jackson's press release, Florida, Hawaii, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Maryland, and Delaware, and the District of Columbia already allow voter preregistration at the age of 16. Oregon allows voter preregistration at the age of 17.

IVP Donate

Unlike the Jackson press release, which states that "preregistration programs in Hawaii and Florida encouraged young people to start voting and keep voting," a George Mason University case study on the programs in Hawaii and Florida showed that this type of program is not very effective.

The study concludes the number of preregistration applications generated through impersonal means such as the DMV or through the mail were less than those acquired from Rock-The-Vote-style assemblies.

"Preregistration is most successful when it occurs with face-to-face contacts between young people and election administrators or

other volunteers. Simply enacting a preregistration law is insufficient to engage young people to preregister," the study states.

According to the release, nearly one-quarter of all Californians who are eligible to vote are not registered. Participation is even lower for young voters, with only half of eligible voters registered. Share this fact: Tweet #CApolitics

You Might Also Like

National Reform Organizations Condemn Texas and California Over Gerrymandering
National Reform Organizations Condemn Texas and California Over Gerrymandering
The United States has passed the point of no return in the unprecedented mid-cycle redistricting fight between Texas and California, which threatens to expand to other states like Republican-controlled Florida and Democratic-controlled New York....
25 Aug, 2025
-
6 min read
Gerrymandering Wars Escalate Beyond Texas and California: A National Race to the Bottom?
Gerrymandering Wars Escalate Beyond Texas and California: A National Race to the Bottom?
Republicans currently hold a narrow 219 to 212 edge over Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, with four vacancies: three from Democratic members who have died and one from a Republican who has resigned. This is the smallest House majority held by either party in nearly a century. The razor-thin margin means the stakes in the 2026 midterms could not be higher. With so few competitive seats left nationwide, both parties are turning to mid-decade redistricting as a way to secure advantages....
27 Aug, 2025
-
10 min read
Hand in ballot that says independent on it.
Why 1.2 Million California Independents Are The Biggest Wild Card in American Politics Today
The fate of Proposition 50, California’s proposed redistricting measure, may come down to voters who have declined to join one of the two major political parties....
22 Aug, 2025
-
5 min read